


Those Hands That Threaten Doom

by daggerisms



Series: TNBC Homin [1]
Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Alternate Universe - Nightmare Before Christmas, Comedy, Halloween, M/M, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-02-22 21:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 32,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2522591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daggerisms/pseuds/daggerisms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>...otherwise known as, "That One Time the Nightmare King and the Winter Prince Were Charged with Saving the Entire Freaking World and Surprisingly Did Not Kill Each Other Out of Sheer Annoyance in the Process"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> My absurdly late entry to the Homin Disney anthology. Many thanks to Haley (whatkindoftea) for being my so-amazing-are-there-even-words beta reader and adviser for this story. Without her constant excitement and questions, I fear I would have lost interest in this before it ever gathered steam.

Once upon a time, not so very long ago  
In a holiday land that you probably know  
Two realms came together because of a fright  
And a terrible plot did unfold that same night  
Fates colliding together against their own will  
The king of the dark and the prince of the chill  
As calamity broke, they each came to find  
That solving some matters brings peace to the mind  
Outside Guillotine Square, our story does start  
But here is my warning, for those weak in the heart  
This is no fairy tale, so keep those dreams smothered  
The prince and the king…well…

They hated each other.

* * *

  ** _Serve none of joye, live e’er by nighte  
_** ** _Embrace thy shadowes, and bask in frighte_**

The inscription in the tombstone nearest Guillotine Gate had the Winter Prince staring in disbelief. “Bask in frighte,” he mouthed, eyebrows rising until they disappeared behind his mop of brown hair.

_Has anything here actually changed here?_

Old-fashioned and in need of updating. The words had been etched there by the Nightmare King himself a long time ago, when Halloween Town was only a settlement of two hundred folk. He would have thought that the king—as much as he loved modern technology—would replace it with something more fitting for a ruler who once ordered insufferable hobgoblins cooked in meat pies. A slab of stone right outside the square? He could do better, much better. Or the entire motto could be scrapped and replaced with something modern.  The look on the king’s face if he were to suggest that would be entirely worth it.

If only they were still on good speaking terms. The prince had severed all good ties with the king here. For good reason, of course—with the way things had carried on then, there was little else to do otherwise—but it was like losing a best friend. Even more so, thanks to their past…

There came a noise by the trees on the borders of the Hinterlands. His hand automatically flew to where the hilt of his sword would rest, but he remembered his helper elves insisting he leave it. “It might offend the king,” they reasoned, but he scoffed at that. The Nightmare King would not only carry his own sword with him everywhere, he would cut a fine line across the prince’s face if he felt like it. The noise came again, and he tensed, ready to fight off whoever dared sneak an attack on him. Who knew what ghouls and ghosts were out on patrol, ready to snitch on outsiders in an instant?

“ _Hark! Who have we here?_ ” someone whispered with a wicked snicker.

“ _Ooh, I know that coat of arms! Look there, on his satchel!_ ” another voice tittered, high-pitched.

“ _‘Tis the Winter Prince, surely is!_ ” a third voice croaked.

_“Nice coat,”_ the first voice stated, laughing.

Common courtesy kept him from booting the fools into the woods, never to be heard from again. “Good evening.” He nodded his head—royalty was not obligated to bow to subjects of any realm. “Prince Changmin, of Christmastown, here to seek an audience with the Nightmare King over a very important matter.”

_“Ooooh, he says he’s a prince!”_

_“King Yunho never told us we would have a visitor, no no…”_

Changmin fought hard to not snap at the disembodied voices, though an inkling of curiosity spread through him. Were these the three rascals he remembered from so long ago? Or were they new guards of the town?

_“Are you going to answer us or not?”_

“The king does not know I am here, and I did not give him any prior notice. It is an emergency. I do not come with a light heart. Allow me safe passage into town, or I could send my own entourage forward, but they won’t be as polite as I am.”

_“We wouldn’t want that!”_ all three voices chimed together at once, and they slid out from the shadows, one by one. The prince grinned despite the circumstances; oh, how he had missed these deviants! Lock, Shock, and Barrel—the three pranksters that ran circles around the townsfolk here and in all the realms. Older than many beings in existence, but still with the appearance of young delinquents, they were part of a memory he remembered—without fondness, of course. They were, after all, annoying children.

Lock, a little red devil of a child with horns and a pointed tail to match, skipped around Changmin’s legs. “We’re just playing with you, princeling! We know who you are!” He eyed the prince’s new coat. “That looks expensive! Rolling in the dough, huh?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that—”

Shock danced up to him, swinging his arms back and forth. “Do you like my new hat?” she trilled, touching the frayed brim of her purple witch’s hat, her wiry hair poking out from below. “Yunho gave it to me when we found him some forget-me-nots for Dr. Finkelstein’s experiment!”

Changmin tried to let go of her hand, laughing a little nervously. “That was nice of you…”

“Your Highness!” A plump boy with a round face, Barrel grinned slyly up at the prince—a little too innocently. “Got a joke for you!”

Fearing he would not get away otherwise, Changmin nodded. “Shoot.”

They all exchanged looks, and his paranoia doubled. Barrel circled one way around his feet, and Lock the other way. “What’s tall…”

“And dull…” Shock giggled.

“And stuck in a bathtub?” Lock cackled, still skipping.

“I…don’t know. What?”

“YOU!” Three pairs of hands shot out and shoved him backward, and he gave a shout of surprise. The backs of his knees hit something solid, and they gave way. Sure enough, their vile bathtub with stubby legs waited behind to catch his fall. Once he sat, sprawled at awkward angles, it began to walk toward the town, the gate shuddering open with a loud grinding noise. Lock, Shock, and Barrel waved at him from the top of the path, giggling and hitting each other, before dashing out of sight.

_I wasn’t wrong. Nothing here has changed_ at all _._

* * *

“Ha! Did you see the look on his face?”

“How does he fall for it every time? Even Yunho’s learned to not listen to any of our jokes!”

“And hey, Barrel didn’t even screw it up this time!”

“What does that mean?!”

They bickered and laughed at the prince’s expressions all the way into the Hinterlands, intending to leave the Winter Prince a nasty little surprise near his door. They all glanced around warily as they passed the cemetery gates; never had this part of the path been so quiet, not even on Halloween night itself. Where were the animals, the birds, the travelers going from realm to realm?

Shock and Barrel quietly chortled past the normal trees, but Lock stopped in his tracks, ogling the clearing where the Holiday Doors stood. “Hey, guys?” he said slowly, removing his devil’s mask. He pointed a quivering finger at the door to San Valentino, Cupid’s domain. “Uh…” Barrel looked over and gave a startled gasp; Shock screamed and covered her mouth with her hands.

The door had been ripped to shreds, barely hanging onto its wooden hinge in the trunk of the tree. Dead flower petals lay scattered at the base, crinkled and unmoving.

“And over there too!” Shock cried out. Patty’s door did not bear half the marks the other did, but the wood had been severely damaged. Indeed, each of the other doors all bore the same gouges.

“What happened here?” Barrel whispered, bending over to examine Christmastown’s door.

“Looks like something with claws came through…”

“But the rulers of the realms, they had to have noticed!”

Shock froze and turned to the others. “Maybe that’s why the princeling stopped by! What if he thinks our king has something to do with this?”

A scheming smile overtook Lock’s face. “You know what that means.” Shock clapped her hands in delight and Barrel scratched his head, frowning. “We gotta tell the boss!”

* * *

 **_Item #09356_ ** _– Regarding Reconstruction Budget for Guillotine Square  
_ _FILED ON 09/15/14_

_Briefing: Due to Sir Ghoulihad’s decision to hold the first annual Pumpkin Games without prior notice given as to its location, thus resulting in the destruction of several statues and fountains in the square, a new budget must be proposed to handle the expenses incurred. The list is as follows…_

Yunho quietly folded the report in half so he could look across the room to the group of witches and furies cowering before him. “If one may be so bold to answer why I am only receiving this memo today…” His smile was dangerous. “Well?”

One of the banshees stumbled forward. She glanced back at her group before gulping in a deep breath. “Y-you see…um, my king…your Majesty…”

“Not that I give a rat’s ass about the statues or anything old-timey that got destroyed,” he tacked on unceremoniously. “Still, I was away on business, so you can imagine my surprise at seeing this town so unkempt. Lock, Shock, and Barrel tried to claim credit, but I still had my suspicions. Ended up telling my own clerks to tidy things up. Can you believe that?”

Her eyes widened. “Well, your Majesty…you s-see, Sir Ghoulihad, he…he said he had your permission—”

“But he did not, and therein lies our problem. In the future,” Yunho drawled, going back into his casual seating arrangement, legs dangling over the side of his throne, “please try to remember that all events, especially one held by a knight of the court, must be signed off by the king and the contract pinned to the door of the hall in which the event takes place. And an apology to my clerks would suffice, too,” he concluded, winking down at the trembling woman. “You are dismissed. Get out of my sight.”

They hurriedly scampered away, tittering under their breath and throwing looks over their shoulders at their lounging ruler. He yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “Next!”

A short, stout man with bat’s wings waddled forward, holding another black envelope. “Next report, sire,” he said in a nasally voice.

Yunho slipped a thin finger beneath the wax seal and broke it. He tousled his hair with his other hand and relaxed farther into the chair as he began to read.

**_Item #09357_ ** _: Request for Dispatch, c/o Magic Reversal and Memory Modification  
          FILED ON 09/15/14_

_Briefing: Two days prior to filing, Mssrs. Oogie Boogie and Pitch Black combined their efforts to spread a great and nameless infection among a tiny village outside London, England. Victims reportedly suffering from great boils, occasional heart failure, severe cases of vomiting and bowel movements, and an irrational craving of buffalo wings should they not die immediately. Believed to be done in the name of testing accuracy of a device called the Doomsday Clock. Concerned vampiric citizens wish to have a squad sent out to repair the damage, erase all evidence of magic, and modify the memories of those involved—many affected were familiars of the descendants of Vlad. Attached is list of victims…_

The two wisps of smoke with glowing eyes that hovered before him were said vampires. “Oogie Boogie’s minions have done much more damage than outlined there, sire. When we filed the report, it had only affected the village. Now, we have been given word that the disease spread to the lower parts of greater London! Due to our familiars being taken away from us—they died immediately—we have lost powers. Look what it has done to us! Forcing us into our simplest forms! This will not do!”

Second wisp of smoke could only make a faint hissing sound. Perhaps it was agreement.

Yunho pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oogie…” He was well-versed with how human beings handled catastrophes. This clock in particular was one used to measure a countdown to global disaster—normally politically related, but in cases like an epidemic there were exceptions. Currently, the clock sat at five minutes to midnight, if he recalled correctly. _The damn Boogeyman’s interference may have changed things already._ And knowing Oogie Boogie, committing such an offense to test a clock sounded well within his own sense of mind. He would watch the universe implode on itself if it meant he could see what “nothing” looked like.

With a twitch of his fingers, Yunho conjured a piece of parchment and hurriedly wrote a request on it. “Take this to the Magic Reversal department across the square. You know the building: squat, white, and smells like cats. They’ll send a squad to patch things up.

The wisps stared blankly at him, and he realized that he looked very stupid holding a piece of scrap paper out to two individuals who were not corporeal. “You there!” he barked at a gargoyle knight; it jumped to attention and stomped over, rocks crumbling off its form as it moved. “Take this, and lead them to the department. Now.” It accepted the request with a gravelly grunt, and then motioned to the wisps. They followed it out the doors as Yunho’s imp handed him a third report.

**_Item #09358_ ** _: Petition for Removal of Content, Library  
          FILED ON 09/15/14_

_Briefing: The Midnight Society has come across several volumes of text while researching at the library last week. It would seem that content from the Easter realm has found its way into our stacks, and we will not stand for it. The actual tomes are bright and cheerful and in no way comply with—_

The iron doors at the end of the great hall slammed open, shaking the walls. Two of the remaining gargoyle knights sprung to life, rock and dust flying everywhere as they crashed their way to the doors. The advising imp let out a yelp and jumped back. A short mummy squire hastily jogged up the aisle, some of his bandages unraveling near his leg, but he managed to draw a trumpet and squawk out a mournful tune. “Sire! Deepest and most dreadful apologies for the intrusion, but we have an unannounced visitor who demands an audience with you.”

Yunho fought hard to remain impassive; who dare interrupt his schedule like this? He closed his eyes and seethed, “The least people can do nowadays is knock. Who the hell is it?” The doors banged open again, but he still did not open his eyes. “Oh, for the love of—”

 “Sire!” the imp squeaked.

“I’ll announce myself. Shim Changmin, the Winter Prince and Overseer of Christmastown.”

 Astonishment shot through Yunho, and his long legs swung around to the front of the throne. In two steps he stood on the carpet leading to the entry doors, staring down the prince with a smile that would send most running. “Well, well. This is quite a surprise. You really should have given me notice. I do like to clean things up before you roll into my town.”

The Winter Prince crossed his arms over his chest, and Yunho took his time to study his appearance leisurely. Red silk shirt with the sleeves buttoned at the wrists—ever the proper little prince. Charcoal pea coat folded over his arm. Incredibly long legs sheathed in black jeans. Old, worn boots caked with mud. Yunho’s eyes roamed back up to Changmin’s face, and stopped there, appreciating his cheekbones and how his hair was tousled and wavy. The prince’s expression finally registered and he had to bite back a smile.

_Well, a storm certainly has blown into my court, hasn’t it?_ For an immortal known for his jolly disposition, he never really showed any sort of cheer. _Oh, how I used to tease him for that…_

Joking would be unwise, but no humor at all would be uncharacteristic of the king. “Every time you visit, you only grow more and more attractive—but you still won’t share your beauty with the world.” He let out a dramatic sigh and cupped one of his cheeks, throwing Changmin a mock frown. “Whatever shall we do about that?”

“I want something in writing and signed by you about those three leaving me alone,” Changmin grumbled, handing his coat to the imp. “That bathtub is going to give me back problems one day, mark my words.”

“Oh, you are such a killjoy. Let them have their fun. They’re perfectly harmless.” He paused. “Or not half as harmful as they could be.” He folded his arms across his chest, clicking his tongue. “Fairly certain I know why you’re here, and I’ll accompany you to the Hinterlands.”

Changmin’s eyebrows rose. “You already know?”

“Prince, I am offended!” he scoffed, holding a hand over his heart in mock hurt. “This is my realm, you know. I’m more or less aware of all its happenings.”

“Are you now?” Changmin asked sardonically.

“I like to think so. Let us be off.” Yunho looked toward his guards. “The Winter Prince and I are stepping out. I know we have more reports to sort through, and I will not shirk that responsibility or any of the others, but this is urgent. Have the remaining citizens make an appointment to see me later today.”

“B-but sire,” the imp stammered, eyes bulging in alarm, “you have a conference with the Sisters of Magic Committee later today, and there’s the small matter of the statues and the banquet, and…”

Yunho held a finger to his lips. “As I said, I will not ignore everything else today. Please tell the citizens to make appointments.” Without waiting for a confirmation from his advisor, Yunho turned on his heel and strolled past Changmin. He snapped his fingers in the air. “Hop to it, prince. I haven’t got all day.”

But the Winter Prince had better manners; he bowed to the gargoyle knights and the tittering imp, thanked them for their time, and then hurried after the king.

* * *

The Hinterlands had never been a welcoming sight, and there was much cleanup needed regarding the branches and leaves amassing on the ground. The only reason anyone went out there—aside from traveling to another realm—would be to get to the cemetery. Changmin had always felt as if someone or something in the trees watched him with a careful eye—and that was no different now. With Yunho’s track record as ruler, and with the way the population worked as beings, it would not have surprised him if he was constantly under surveillance in Halloweentown.

“So should I roll out the red carpet, or was the one in the throne room good enough for his most pompous of all assholes?” Yunho asked with a half-smirk, his hands tucked into the pockets of his fitted leather duster.

Changmin rolled his eyes. “Once again, I apologize for the way I barged in. The situation with the Holiday Doors proved to be more urgent than arranging a more refined entrance. And in any case,” he added, a little less politely, “you would have turned me away or slammed the door in my face.”

“That would be correct. I have a reputation, you know. Can’t let a snowpuff like you ruin it just because you failed to knock.”

“Enough with the nicknames.”

“Oh, don’t like that one?” Yunho whirled around, walking backward, the mischievous look on his face sending a pang through Changmin; he used to adore that look. “What works better? Yeti? Minsicle? Frosty? _Santa_?”

“Look here—”

“Relax, prince. I mean no harm. Can’t I joke around with an old _friend_?” Changmin knew he meant it to come out teasing, and not so scathing. Yunho’s gaze was hard as he began to turn to face the trees, away from him. “I would like this to be done hastily, or my court will begin to think you had ulterior motives.”

They continued to walk in stony silence, looking anywhere but at the other. Overhead, an owl hooted and took flight into the dusky sky, rustling what few twigs and leaves remained on the branches. Changmin used to love taking quiet walks through this part of the wood—but of course, that was _before_. Back then, he could have spent a night beneath the stars, swinging on a hammock between two dead but sturdy birch trees. Perhaps Yunho would have come along, for the sheer sake of making snide remarks while thoroughly enjoying himself and his company, hair shining as bright as moonlight. Changmin remembered how soft it used to be, how his fingers would sink through the light threads and how Yunho would shut his eyes.

What he would not give to have the rapport, the familiarity of that _before_.

Yunho finally broke the silence a few moments later, staring straight ahead as the Doors came into view. “Be honest with me, prince.” His voice, normally so light and playful, had turned serious. “If this disaster hadn’t occurred, you wouldn’t set a foot in my realm otherwise, right? It’s unfortunate that it takes something like this to happen for you to drop by.”

“You know how busy I am during this time of year. Unless I considered things to be very wrong in the world, I have too much to do and so very little time to do it.”

“So why come to me?” Though Yunho kept his voice steady, Changmin knew a tic would have formed in his cheek. He had heard that tone a thousand and one times; he could easily guess the expression that accompanied it. “You are not the only one on a tight schedule.”

Changmin surveyed Yunho’s back with a frown. “The reports were much too curious. Claw marks on the Holiday Doors, and a number on the inside of each, save for the Door to Halloweentown? Call me crazy, but anyone else would consult you first.”

Yunho stopped where he stood and turned, glaring at the prince. “I’m sorry, are you formally charging me with vandalism of the Doors? We need to do so in a court overseen by the Tribunal.”

“What is wrong with you?”

“As I’ll have you know, dearest Santa—”

“Oh, don’t you _even_ start that again…”

“—you were the one to split that night without a word to me or anyone else, you refused to see me for decades, and if we ever do meet each other it’s during a meeting with the other rulers, and you won’t spare me one glance. Yet here you are, eyeing me as you would a suspect, when the only evidence pointing to my realm is the missing claw marks from my door!”

He wanted to be anywhere but in that clearing. Frowning, Changmin said, “Can we not do this? Not now. I’m here for an investigation on behalf of the other rulers, not to discuss the past.”

“The _past_ ,” Yunho repeated scathingly. He tossed his head back and let out a barking laugh. “Are we now assuming that everything has been put behind us? Oh, your highness. Your naivety does make me laugh so.”

Trying his best to ignore the other man, Changmin walked ahead to face the first Door, one painted with a white rabbit and multicolor eggs. Four distinct gouges dug deep into the ancient wood. “Right. Ea filed her complaint yesterday morning and sent one of her bunnies to see me about it.” He ran a hand over the lines, frowning. “So odd…”

Yunho squatted next to the Door that boasted a large green, glittering shamrock embedded with real emeralds. “Poor Pat. His fairies worked so hard on this, didn’t they?” Splinters on the ground caught his eye; he reached down and picked them up for a closer inspection. “Whatever did this was not so happy with this realm.”

“What makes you think the perpetrator was an ‘it,’ and also had an agenda?”

The grin on Yunho’s face could not be any wider. “Surely, you jest, prince! You said so yourself—my door in all realms was left unmarked, but every side of each door here and in the other realms was affected. That means the attack was done with a purpose, to draw attention to Halloweentown for whatever reason. I say ‘whatever’ and not ‘whoever’ because those are in fact claw marks; the depths of the grooves reflect that. It’s not concrete evidence, but the chances of it are highly likely. Anything held by a human, like a hand rake or files between the fingers—they would leave much different, more uniform marks.”

“But then that leads to my next question: what animal could do this?”

“The depth…” he muttered again. Changmin seized the distraction as an opportunity to study his old friend. _He looks thinner._ True, the leather pants tucked into snug boots did not help the sight. A white oxford shirt hung off his chest, past his slender waist. He had added a few more studs of metal to his ears and a distressed leather cuff wrapped around each wrist. The great sword on his back only made him look smaller. _No, it’s not the clothes. He’s lost weight._ “It’s so odd,” Yunho said at last, and Changmin snapped back to reality. “Claws close together, but more like talons, if you consider how the fifth comes in at a different angle. There aren’t many creatures in my realm capable of such a blow, and an even smaller list of ones with five claws.” He frowned deeper. “Few animals, indeed…and let’s not forget the numbers. A 2, 3, 5, and 8. This animal has enough sense to scratch these into the wood. Smart and cunning and possible a rare find.”

“You could give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money, you know.”

“Oh, stuff it, Your Most Surliness. I’m astounded you even have a sense of humor, though admittedly it is more sarcasm than anything.” Yunho stared down at the gouges in the wooden door. “I have someone to consult before we journey into that murky realm called mystery. You should wait back at the palace for me, Changmin; I shouldn’t be too long in this errand.” He brushed dirt off his knees and stood straight, face unreadable. “Excuse me.” He strode away without sparing the Winter Prince a second glance, hands back in his duster pockets.

_He actually addressed me by name. If the Nightmare King is agitated enough to do that, then the situation may be worse than I thought._

* * *

The manor rose out of the ravine that had formed centuries ago, the river continuing to erode much of it away. It stood tall, narrow, and rickety—separate parts and rooms appeared to have sprung into existence over the years. Below, a green river ran along the base of the strange manor, disappearing inside a sewer opening that he knew ended in Guillotine Square. Gargoyles covered in moss and dead spiders flanked the gates, and as he approached, the statues croaked—as most of the Halloweentown denizens were wont to do. “ _What does it want?_ ”

“Tell him the Nightmare King wishes to have a word.”

“ _And what would that be?_ ” the other gargoyle moaned.

“Potential treason,” Yunho replied as he dug dirt out from beneath his nail.

Without another sound escaping them, they let the gates swing open with a loud creak. Yunho strolled through them to the rusted lift that would take him straight to the doorstep of the manor’s owner. He continued to pick at his fingers in boredom, thinking back on the small bit of investigation he had done with the Winter Prince.

_The nerve. The very nerve of him coming into my realm, telling me what to do. He wanted to accuse me, I could see it in his eyes. He has no evidence, none whatsoever that I am responsible for any of this._ Violently, he flicked a speck toward the ground fifty feet below, scowling heavily. _He may be considered a leader among leaders, but not here. Why, I would banish him if…_

If certain feelings were not there, unrequited feelings that still burned within him.

Another set of doors greeted him when the lift came to a shuddering stop. These were solid iron, meant to keep most ghoulies away. But the Nightmare King was no ghoul. He lifted the large knocker and let it drop, banging against the metal. Something in the night shrieked, and in a few seconds the doors opened with no aid. He hesitated in the doorway, but finally he squared his shoulders and walked inside. Once they shut behind him, darkness enveloped the room. He could not see an inch from his face.

“Well, well, _well_.”

Flames burst into life in the corners of the chamber; gears began to turn behind the single metal chair in the middle of the room, and chains dangling from the ceiling clinked above his head. Having been there so many times, Yunho did not flinch, but his eyes narrowed; some of the chains looked recently used. In the chair sat a man he had had many a dealing with. Different dealings—business, personal matters, physical liaisons even (and he could not deny how much he had enjoyed _those_ ).

 A poet could better describe the beauty that was Lucifer compared to this man. An artist could easier paint galaxies he had never seen before. Facial hair kept neatly trimmed, that only emphasized the masculinity in his face; broad shoulders always displayed in tailored black Italian-style suits too expensive for most to afford (and as he stole, their cost did not matter); eyes so dark and deep they could reflect what surrounded him. Perfection in every curve, every inch of skin, every gesture, and every small breath he took—perfection even in the smile he wore for his visitor.

Nothing was ever perfect, however, and beneath the beauty there lay a darkness that could fell the Devil himself.

“I can’t believe my eyes,” he continued to drawl, setting his clasped hands atop the table. “Not even in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine you turning up unannounced. And after that ridiculous accusation you flung in my face the last time!” He said it with a tiny laugh and a toss of his head. “Oh, my beautiful disaster of a king, I do hope life has been treating you good!”

Yunho could only smile wryly. “Singlehandedly overrunning a city with the worst case of insomnia-related murders is nothing ridiculous, or small for that matter, Yi Xiang. I spent months cleaning up your mess. We can chat about my life later.” He stood taller, arranging his expression into something serious. “You know why I’m here?”

Yi Xiang continued to smile up at him serenely. “I do not. I’m assuming it’s about the London incident, but no, you would have dealt with that without speaking to me. Therefore, it is something I am unaware of, but something I am awful curious about. Why don’t you, ah, _enlighten_ me?”

“Very well.” Yunho snapped his fingers and an armchair conjured from thin air appeared behind him. He sank into the cushioned seat and crossed his long legs. The minutes flew by as he recounted all that he knew—the scratches, the torn-off door, the Winter Prince’s concerns, the other leaders being careful not to point all blame at Halloweentown. As he spoke, he felt himself unwinding, almost relaxing in front of his most terrifying minion; had his confrontation with Changmin been that tense? _But this is why you came to_ him _before_ , a nasty little voice whispered in his mind. _This is where you came when you had your heart shattered—_

“You’re joking. You have to be pulling my leg!” Yi Xiang began to cackle, shaking his head. Unable to control his laughter, he banged his fist on the table in mirth. “My oh my, it sounds like the holiday leaders are being attacked right under their noses! Not the least bit surprising, they’re all up high in the air anyway.”

“I wouldn’t laugh at all this, if I were you. This is a serious incident, and all eyes are on our realm. I am doing my best to figure out what’s going on, but I want to make sure you aren’t going to do anything to get in the way of my investigation, or do something stupid like track it down yourself and lay your kill at my feet without a care of what it might cost to do that.”

Another amused noise escaped Yi Xiang. “Me try to impress you? Please, I have better things to do with my time.”

The king massaged his temples, a headache forming from all the useless (and annoying) banter aimed his way. “So do I have your word that you won’t get in the way?”

“Hold on, hold on.” One spidery finger went up, and Yunho zeroed in on the ring. He recognized it at once—a piece of metal that had belonged to an old vampire couple, the same pair who had met him at his residence to complain about the being sitting before him. _Probably belonged to one of their familiars._ It looked like Yi Xiang had been busy since his day in England. “I got one little old question, and I do hope you decide to be honest with me.”

“Shoot.”

“Am _I_ going to be accused of anything in your investigation?” Yi Xiang spoke lightly, but the hardness in his eyes could not be ignored.

“Can’t tell at this point,” Yunho admitted. “To be fair, you were the one who decided to call yourself…oh, what was it? ‘The shadow on the moon at night, filling all dreams to the brim with fright?’ I can’t speak for anyone else who might want you to shoulder the blame. Let’s not forget that most things terrorizing the realms do tend to come back to you—remember the July incident in Independenton with the fireworks and your ooze?”

“Never thought Blamma would get so offended at a tiny joke. Flamma and Flare got her nose back on, didn’t they? Don’t change the subject. Am I to be accused of anything?”

“So now you want seriousness,” Yunho joked, leaning on the arm of his chair. “Back to business then, Yi Xi—”

“I want an answer,” and Yi Xiang’s voice came out very low and very dangerous. His playfulness had faded completely. The fires in the corners of the room danced brighter and the chains above clinked menacingly. “Do not test me, your Majesty. You may be my king, and I may have to pay my dues and taxes and run errands like a common hellhound, but I respect you as long as you respect me. I comforted you once upon a time, have you forgotten that?”

Yunho’s own eyes flashed. “I would watch your tone, if I were you.”

“Your Christmas-flavored McFlurry is the naïve one, sire—not me. I know your agenda. You need a scapegoat, and the original Boogeyman is the perfect way out of having to explain yourself. All of my past doings and creations would help support any tiny shred of circumstantial evidence you come across, even if it points to a lie.” His voice grew louder, more outraged, and the walls shook with it. But the Nightmare King was used to his small tantrums; time spent with this stubborn terror made him tolerant. “It must be a deal, Yunho. No investigation on me. I have no hand in this. Run a polygraph, do whatever makes you feel secure, but I have done no wrongs—this does not bear my signature. Promise me this, and I’ll even help look for the damn perpetrator and bring it to justice.”

_Somehow I doubt that._ It all smelled like one of his ideas of “fun,” and yet…Yunho felt compelled to believe him.

Rather than deal with an angry Boogeyman, the Nightmare King decided to be diplomatic. “Deal.” He held out his hand—and Yi Xiang laughed, echoing in the chamber. “What now?”

“Ah, ah, ah.” One of his hands shot out and grasped Yunho’s forearm, yanking him forward onto the table. “You know how I make deals, Majesty,” he murmured, voice like a caress. “Don’t act like this is a new dance and game for you. Seal the deal, and I’ll return with you to town tonight.” He smiled, and for a moment it disarmed Yunho; how did he manage to be so devious of a bastard, and wrap it all up in a pretty charming way?

A primal urge inside him purred at the thought of being in his embrace again. But reason fought hard too. They met in the middle, and it was why Yunho had to softly return the grin.

“…you drive a hard bargain, _Oogie_.”

“Ooh, call me that again, and I’ll claw those cheekbones out of your face with glee,” Yi Xiang trilled, and he lowered his face to Yunho’s, sucking and biting the king’s lower lip until blood seeped into his mouth. The action drew a small groan from his king, who took an uneasy breath and kissed him back. A tongue danced with his, and he bit down for a taste of blood, too, sealing the contract. The old attraction flared up instantly, and Yunho could not separate what was required and what he somewhat wanted. _No strings, that’s how it was. We could…_

As Yi Xiang’s fingers began to thread into Yunho’s white locks, the heavy metal doors burst open and the three minions of the Boogeyman fell into the room, all clamoring and shouting for his attention. “Boss!” “Master Oogie Boogie!” “ _Boss_!”

Relief at the interruption flooded the king, and he shoved the man back into his own chair, breathing hard. Any longer, and he may have done something stupid. Yi Xiang’s face could have been carved from stone; Yunho actually felt a prickle of fear for the children’s immediate safety. “Unless someone has died a gruesome death—and what a delightful thing that would be—I will be most upset with you three.”

They ogled at Yunho, who cleared his throat and flattened the hair at the back of his head. “Don’t let my presence stop you. Speak. What is wrong?”

“Or what _isn’t_ , we might ask,” Yi Xiang offered, throwing Yunho a teasing glance.

“Master,” Lock finally said, quivering in fear where he stood—being in a room with the Nightmare King and the first Boogeyman could make the bravest man tremble. “We, um…we received intelligence about a disturbance in the woods.” He glanced at Yunho, then at his partners, and back at Yi Xiang. “Well...you see…the princeling has, uh…”

* * *

It was his favorite birch tree in the clearing, and yet sitting in its shadow brought back painful memories. Changmin could not linger for long. He shoved his hands into his winter coat and leaned against the pale bark, trying to sort through all the foul critters of the realm and if any could be responsible.

There were the witches, known for brilliant but deadly creations that ran wild. However, those lovely ladies adored traveling to the realms for ingredients; ruining relationships with the people there would not benefit them in any way. Cait Sith, that tricky devil, could have used his metal claws, but as Yunho had said, their layout didn’t match the gouges in the wood. The smoky badger that lived under Yi Xiang’s mansion had the sick sense of amusement to go with the attacks, but again there remained the issue of those claw marks…and the numbers. They seemed so random, he really could not make a pattern from the reports.

Grumbling, he dug out his phone, a new addition to keeping up with the Lists that continuously changed during the year—it was startling how quickly a child could become naughty, and how difficult it was to see their name back on the Nice List. The elves had insisted and by last year’s end, they had armed him with a flat piece of glass. As much as he scowled and grumbled at its near uselessness with all else, he could not help but like that silly “flapping pigeon” game.

He scrolled through the photo gallery, searching for the grainy pictures from earlier. _Bingo._

They were carved into the doors in almost exactly the same spot across. All the same. **2358**. What did it mean? Frustration bubbled in him again, and he closed his eyes, trying to figure out if that number held a particular meaning. When nothing came to mind, he shifted his seated position on the ground, giving up and going back to his gloomy state.

_Combining our forces may be our only option,_ Changmin thought grudgingly. _After all, Yunho is their king, and no matter how uncontrollable they are, they still adhere to his proclamations._

As much as he did not want to work with Yunho, if he had to, he had to. The other realms would not bother with him, and Changmin knew that. He would have to be the one to convince him that working together could be to their advantage.

“Why me?” he lamented to the grey skies above. He did love Halloweentown so much; the bitterness of all that had transpired between the two rulers could not erase his other memories of the town. How could he forget that crisp autumn flavor in the air, as eternal as the thrilling bite of his winter? Or the sunset viewed from Moonlight Hill, and how the colors fell onto the landscape around the cemetery? Sometimes, in such an atmosphere, it was easy to get caught up in all the beauty and wonder at the fact that it was contained in a terrifying realm. The citizens treated him with great respect—even now, they were playful but careful to not upset the prince.

He would have to finish the investigation quickly, and then leave. Changmin could not bear being around Yunho and having those old wounds open up again—knowing that right beside him stood a man with as many emotional scars.

_I took myself out of the equation for good reason. If I stay longer than I must…who knows what will happen?_

Because of where he was, and what lived there, the strange noises did not rouse suspicion at first. He ignored the low hissing and the leaves that crunched beneath the creature’s weight. He did not look around when a great silhouette slid across the dead trees around him. So lost was he in those past memories, he only looked up when something solid sprung forward, and pinned him to the cold earth.

Whatever it was, it was insanely fast and large and heavy, and had the most putrid breath.

Changmin barely registered that it looked much like an oversized panther before fangs the size of small knives sunk into his side, and an electric shock seized him. _Venom!_ His fingers fumbled at the furry jaw, only to have the creature bite harder. Unconsciousness began to overtake him, and the last thing he heard before passing out was a low rattling growl that sounded like, “ _Tick tock, princeling…_ ”

* * *

_Not for the first time, Changmin and Yunho found their long limbs twined together on top of the grand obsidian table in the manor’s dining hall; the servants had been dismissed to their quarters so no one remained to disrupt their time together. The Nightmare King spread his fingers across Changmin’s chest and let his back curve into the warm hand that caressed him. “You know, I used to tease you about your stiffness, but it never once crossed my mind that you’d be stiff in a way I don’t mind,” he chuckled, laughing a little louder when Changmin’s palm hit his lower back sharply. “Lighten up, snowpuff. An hour ago, you seemed to have loosened up around me—”_

_“I thought that was_ you _around_ me _.”_

_“Sandy Claws has a sense of humor, and it is a wicked one!” Yunho pushed onto one of his elbows, skin heating when he realized how hungrily the prince gazed at his body, even while pressed against the entire length of his own. “Want to go another round?”_

_“Might we move this to your bedroom if we do more?” Changmin asked, stretching his arms out and wincing when he heard the bones crack. “A dining table, while very original and stable for two gentlemen such as ourselves, is not the most comfortable of places to have sex on. Please?” he added, realizing that Yunho might not care where it happened—only that it did happen._

_Yunho grinned. “Give me five minutes, and I’ll think about it.” Sighing, he dropped back onto that gloriously broad chest and let the corner of his mouth brush the bare skin. Changmin shivered a little beneath him and drew his body closer. “Halloween is in five nights, and I am more concerned about exploring what makes you moan and groan over my other responsibilities. I would have never foreseen myself lying here beside you—the great Winter Prince of Christmastown—and craving your touch as I would crave air and water.”_

_“Air is a necessity to live, Yunho. Though I can’t lie and say hearing you admit that…” He trailed off, and Yunho’s nails digging into his chest made him continue. “I mean, hearing you say that makes me feel…wanted. Important. And for a reason outside of my job. If it weren’t for the joy and happiness that courses through so many people on my day…who knows if I would love the job as much?”_

_“Doing all this for the children is a great thing. You taught me that. I would be blind if I denied it.” Yunho took a deep breath, bracing himself for the age-old argument that was sure to follow. “Sometimes I think about what life would be like if we weren’t two big realm rulers. What if others could take over for Halloweentown and Christmastown and we could be…”_

_The last word remained stuck in his throat as Changmin heaved a sigh, shifting underneath his hands until he sat up, leaning back on his hands. “Yunho, time and again you ask me to make a commitment I just cannot make. We—the both of us—have so many duties and responsibilities as realm rulers, and no one could handle the stress we take. As it is, we have both heard whispers of rebel factions within our realms. No one is ever satisfied with how we do our jobs. Imagine what they would do as a consequence of us abdicating. Would you be so hasty as to place this weight on another’s shoulders for a very selfish reason such as running away together? Would you want those who go against the tide to be right?”_

_“Why not?” Yunho shot back, straddling his lover’s long legs until their faces were inches apart. “Don’t mistake me for some pushover cherub of Valentino’s, prince—but don’t think that my place in life means I can’t be a fool in love. You sneer at the idea, but I can see the gears working in your mind. You want it, too. You like the idea of being crazy and just…giving it all up.”_

_“I never said—”_

_“We could anoint two other rulers in our absence and leave for however long. We could even work in a clause in the new contract that states the basis of our return. We could…truly just be Yunho and Changmin. Don’t you…don’t you want that?” he asked with a hint of desperation._

_Changmin’s expression was bittersweet and wistful. “It sounds like a dream in another life, but I would never give it up. I can’t. My father left this world with expectations of me as ruler in his stead, and it would dishonor his memory if I gave it up for something so—”_

_“So what?” Yunho’s eyes flashed dangerously._

_“So tempting…appealing…idiotic…pick one.”_

_“I love you,” Yunho whispered, and the thick emotion behind it made his voice quake. Changmin’s hands cupped the slim face that smiled sadly at him. “I once thought that was enough to have your attentions, but it seems like it will never be enough. As always, I come second to all else.”_

_“Don’t say that,” and a warm, hungry mouth found the king’s, drawing him into a kiss of oblivion. It drew little noises from them both, and for a while they sat in awkward positions, unwilling to move for fear of breaking that kiss. Changmin’s fingers stroked the sides of Yunho’s face and then trailed down his arms, pushing him back onto the table. Teeth grazed a bottom lip, and then somehow Yunho lay across Changmin’s chest again, lips sliding unrushed against the prince’s as their hands began to explore more intimate places. Changmin broke away finally, breathing hard. “Don’t say that,” he repeated, and Yunho was delighted to hear how rough his voice had become. “Don’t ever consider yourself second to anything. You are…you are as constant in my life as the moon.”_

_“She comes and goes, highness,” Yunho noted, but it was so very romantic, and he rarely heard something like that come out of his prince._

_Making an effort to be playful, Changmin nuzzled his neck and pressed a kiss there. “Let’s move this to your bedroom, please. We can discuss this further, with a blanket over me. I must confess that while I love the cold, I do still shiver from time to time.”_

_“Sure that’s not just how I make you feel?”_

_“Bite your tongue, darling king. Or rather, save that bite for later.”_

_“That’s more like it,” Yunho growled, drawing him forward for another quick kiss. Laughing when Changmin whined at the loss of contact, he swung his legs off the side of the table and strolled off. Awareness prickled his skin, and he smiled wider—the prince may play cool now and then, but Yunho knew he had a fine back and it drew Changmin’s gaze…a lot. He stole a tablecloth off a pedestal in the foyer of his manor, wrapped it around his waist (in the event that a servant was still awake) and set off for his bedchamber._

_Changmin would never make it up the stairs, though. Before Yunho had even finished clearing the bed of parchment, plans, and last-minute requests from the denizens of Halloweentown…the winter prince had already fled his domain._

* * *

“…but are you certain?”

“When have I ever lied to you, your Majesty?” A pause. “Oh, don’t you give me that look. Curving the truth into a shape much like a lie is more of my forte, but false truths hardly ever come out of me. Yes, I am fairly certain.”

“Fairly?”

“Does ‘remarkably’ work better for your royal ears?”

The last remark went ignored. “So…a Bandersnatch.”

“Ah, the one and only Bandersnatch. I would remember there being more than one.” The velvety voice sighed. “Now I wish I hadn’t let her roam free after that nasty incident with the sisters…they’re witches, they can just _grow_ their limbs back…”

“Tell me, Yi Xiang. Do you remember the important bit where you swore to your king that you were not involved in this matter, in any way whatsoever? I am not falsely recalling this, correct? Makes your declaration about lying rather embarrassing, doesn’t it?”

“Save your accusations for a Boogeyman who would quake before you, sire. For the last hour I have said it over and over—I did not make my darling Bandersnatch venomous. She has been tampered with, and as I did not make her genetic code known to anyone, that bothers me. They’ve imbibed her bite with something rather powerful, enough to do this damage to an immortal being. Instead of pointing your damn fingers, you should—oh, look. Thy sweet prince awakens.”

Changmin’s eyes began to flutter; they felt like lead. He knew this bedroom very well, unfortunately. Everything from the expensive black sheets to the wrought iron vines that twisted into a beautiful lattice above his head, to the candelabra in each corner of the room, was all too familiar. He knew the insignia on a goblet by his bedside, having seen it splashed over much of everything in the Nightmare Manor.

He wanted to knock himself in the head for finding that comforting.

“Why are you two bickering like a pair of old married folk?” Changmin groaned. When he made to sit up, a hand pushed him back onto the bed. “Look, I can still move without anyone’s help.”

“Prince, I am sure that you _can_ , but whether you _should_ is the question I really don’t feel up to answering.” A fleeting grin passed over Yunho’s face. “Next time you get attacked, do so in a more populated area, please. By the time we reached you…” He trailed off, the corners of his mouth turning down for just a second before his smile returned. “At any rate, we have identified your attacker. She may be connected to the Holiday Doors, as she was around the Hinterlands long enough to detect and see you as a threat.”

A derisive laugh drew Changmin’s attention; leaning against one of the bed posts was the damned Boogeyman he had hoped to never cross paths with. He was as handsome as the girls in the workshop had whispered, but something was very wrong with him—he just couldn’t put his finger on it. _What isn’t wrong with him, Changmin?_ _The stories the elves told me…were they true?_ And then he internally scolded himself—why should he care? Yunho’s relationships were none of his business anymore.  “Is my injury that amusing?” Changmin asked dryly.

“Yes,” Yi Xiang replied, flashing his teeth. “Only the Winter Prince would suffer a bite from one of my experiments gone wrong.”

Yunho’s hand tightened on his shoulder as Changmin lunged forward, outraged. “What do you mean, one of _your_ experiments?!” Instantly, he regretted the sudden movement; a hard throb in his hip unleashed cold waves of pain to his legs.

The Boogeyman shook his head, still with that Cheshire grin. “Before your highness graced us with your conscious state, the king and I discussed this, so please halt any blame you want to fling my way. Yes, the Bandersnatch—what bit you, dolt; dispense with the looks—is something I created, but I assure you I did not plan for her to have a venomous bite. In fact, I am worried about the other citizens if it can deliver such damage to a realm ruler.”

“The quiet pride in your voice? I could do without that.”

Yunho frowned at Yi Xiang. “You say you didn’t let anyone else know of how you created her?”

“Would you let people in on something you had invented all by yourself?” Yi Xiang drawled, pushing off the post. “As Mr. Grinch over here pointed out, I’m quite proud that someone dared to take her and tamper with her genetics.” His dark eyes bore into Yunho’s. “Your Majesty, he is conscious. The investigation can continue.”

Before Yunho could reply, he was interrupted by Changmin, who groaned and held his head tenderly. “It talked…”

That made Yi Xiang’s eyebrows fly upward and his lips press together. Yunho leaned forward onto the bed, frowning heavier. “What do you mean by that? The Bandersnatch…spoke?”

“I’m not sure. Now that you tell me I was injected with venom, I could have been hallucinating. But before everything went black, I swear it said…” He searched his memory, wincing when it triggered a headache. “Something like…oh, what was it? It called me princeling, and it said…” But at that moment, the most painful sensation hit his ribs, and he fell back onto the pillows, cursing.

“Sandy Claws uttered a swear word,” Yi Xiang gasped, mockingly clutching his chest. “Something else I need to scratch off my bucket list!”

Fury rippled through Changmin. “Call me that again and see what happens,” he dared in a low voice, glaring at the Boogeyman.

“Enough.” Yunho gently lifted the comforter farther up Changmin’s body, earning him a puzzled stare. “It’s about time you’re back in my bed, prince,” he joked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I believe the good doctor will have something for the pain. Can’t imagine how high the dose will have to be for you, but I may as well look into it.” A swift nod went to the smoking goblet beside the bed. “Sip that. While it does nothing for the pain, it will knock you out for some time. Easier to bear the pain.”

“Double morphine,” Changmin groaned, trying to get comfortable again as he reached for the cup. “And some liquor if no morphine.” He kept a deaf ear to Yi Xiang’s sniggering at the request and addressed Yunho again. “You may as well see if Dr. Finkelstein knows anyone who has enough reason to set a damn Bandersnatch on me.”

“Thinking like a true sleuth.” Yunho rose to his feet, taking his coat off the back of the chair pulled up to the bed and slipping his arms through it. He briefly glanced at Yi Xiang. “I know it’s not in your nature to leave well enough alone, but do try. No arguments. No fighting. I would prefer my bedroom intact when I return.”

“With how the prince looks in those jeans, I can’t make any promises about everything staying intact.”

“Try,” Yunho emphasized, his eyes burning into Yi Xiang’s. Changmin’s lips parted in surprise, and when they both turned, he hastily drank the contents of the goblet. _Is he that concerned for me?_ The thought did not remain with him long. A heavy drowsiness consumed him and he felt his eyes flutter again.

“Of course, sire,” Yi Xiang replied as he raised a lazy salute to his king.

The king left the room as Changmin fell back into a slumber on the bed, mouth agape as the sleeping draught worked its magic.

* * *

_Letters marked with a black wax seal came one by one at first; then in by the dozen, shoved into the hands of his poor workers as they made their way down Snowflake Hill to the workshop in the square; and finally, he received a great crate weighing one hundred pounds, with an impossible number inside. They had to have been conjured by magic, but still…it was all so very frustrating. The man did not understand what a break up was, that was simply it. That’s what it had to be. Changmin pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned forward onto his desk. He had not slept a full night in so long._

_He missed the king. Dearly._

_But things…were how they should be._

_“I could never run away with you,” he whispered to the polished glass surface that reflected a distorted image of his own face. “That’s not possible.”_

_For seven weeks, he ignored the boxes of letters. He did not destroy them, but he would not have them in his workshop—what he considered a sanctuary. The elves moved them to the storage stables where retired sleighs sat gathering dust. They began to pile rather quickly—but still he could not find it in his heart to get rid of them._

_They eventually stopped coming._


	2. The Investigation

Dr. Finkelstein’s enormous laboratory-turned-home rose above the smog that covered Halloweentown. It was one of the oldest establishments there—but if one only looked at their outside portions, no outsider would be able to tell new from old. Random rooms perched haphazardly all over, built over the years. The sparks emitting from the chimney told him the doctor was in. A few well-wishing townsfolk bowed and called out to the Nightmare King as he approached the front steps, and he acknowledged them. He had to make his hurry known, unfortunately. Changmin’s bite was beyond his little first aid skills, and the doctor was the only being in the realm that could have a cure.

 _Prince…once again, you have turned everything upside down in my world._ The jury was out on whether it was a good or bad thing.

Yunho yanked on the doorbell’s pulley, and somewhere in the distance a gong sounded. Glass shattered on the other side of the door, followed by extremely shrill swearing. He forced his smile off his face as footsteps echoed in the house, growing louder and louder, until the heavy wooden door was yanked open and a diminutive form, almost like a fairy, glared up at him. “Can’t a woman work in her own home without getting the fuck scared out of her by the damn doorbell?!”

“Hello, Boa,” he chuckled, inclining his head and tipping an imaginary hat.

The small doctor pursed her lips and struck the door with her long, tapered fingernails, painted a beautiful deep violet. She tapped a fast rhythm, still scowling, and his grin fell. _Greeted her for all of five seconds and she’s pissed at me. Water’s wet, the sky’s above our heads, what else is new?_ “How’s your eyesight, sire?”

“I…what?”

“Are you having problems with nearsightedness? No? Then do me a favor and read it.” When he continued to look confused, she thrust a finger at a small board nailed next to the door. **_PLEASE KNOCK, YOU DUMB FUCKS_**. “Sound it out, I have all damn night long. Here, I’ll help you.”

Rolling his eyes, Yunho stepped around her, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it on a rusted hook just inside the door. “It’s wonderful to see you too, my lady. I hope your evening has been going as well as it can?”

“It was going quite splendidly until some moron came and rang the fucking gong. And that’s Doctor to you, by the way,” she added, marching past him to an open door off the entrance hall. Her small hands bound her dark hair up into a neat knot at the back of her head as they went. He followed her down a winding set of stone steps until it opened out into a huge dungeon-like chamber. Slipping into knee-high galoshes, she approached her workspace, still shooting him reproachful looks.

As she fiddled with some instruments on her work table, she barked at him, “You might be able to scrape by with a polite ‘madam’ if I forgive you for that horrible racket. I can’t believe my father kept that stupid fucking gong. Loud as hell, we may as well have a truck horn blare out the windows. Now come on.” She snapped her fingers impatiently, and he jumped. “Don’t have all night, your Majesty. Your servants are quite the gossiping bunch. Told my sweet Sally everything. She’s out gathering some ingredients for me,” she tittered, waving her hands impatiently in the air when it looked like he might inquire about Sally’s health. “Cut the small talk. Details. Fire away, I want your version of this soap opera.”

“…Changmin’s here.”

“Uh-huh.”

“In Halloweentown.”

“Strangely enough, I picked up on that when you said the word, ‘here.’”

“He…received a very nasty bite from Yi Xiang’s stupid cat—”

“Bandersnatch, sire. Address it by its name. It’s not a cat, or else it would not have attacked a denizen in your realm without fear of your retaliation. Your black cats may be wily, but they are still obedient to their king. It is a creature unlike any other. And besides, if I were a Bandersnatch, I’d be mighty pissed at such an idiotic comparison.” She lugged a huge vat out from under the work table and began to toss all sorts of items in there; Yunho stared as she de-shelled several shrimp into the pot and followed those with a dash of something that looked suspiciously like gunpowder. “Go on.”

His brow furrowed, but he continued. “The bite’s like something I’ve never seen before. Red and puffy and oozing something dark. It almost looks infected. Nothing can deliver such damage to an immortal. Yi Xiang swore it was not his doing, and I believe him. Someone has tampered with that foul beast, even made it talk, and that someone is behind the door attacks!” He finished with a loud exclamation, crossing him arms with a triumphant smile.

Boa chewed the inside of her lip as she ground some java beans and threw them into the vat. It hissed and glowed a sick green. “So let me get this straight. Your ex-boyfriend is in town, got himself in a shitload of trouble, and expects me to bail him out. You expect me to bail him out, too.” Yunho deflated; he had told the story much grander than that, but essentially…that was the gist of it. “How nice.” She let out a derisive snort and shook her head, throwing salt over her shoulder into the bubbling mess. “I see nothing’s changed—or well, some things have. I see the infuriating skinny pant craze has taken you as its victim, too. But still as drunk in love, aren’t you? Hand me that beaker, the one labeled, ah…”

“Tears of the happy,” Yunho read with a chortle.

She snatched it out of his hand. “Don’t laugh at my materials, you stupid cockroach. Drop of that, and a hint of remembrance—” Boa dropped a gold pocket watch, and the contents turned yellow-orange. “A dead man’s finger—” It still bore a ring as she added it. “And the petals of the sunflower picked at midnight by my Sally. Bless her heart, she does errands for me even when I am at my grumpiest. I love her to death.”

“Sally’s quite a wonderful girl,” Yunho agreed, picking a spot on the table to perch on. “And I can’t begin to thank you enough. I would have done something for him myself, but I’m afraid my skills are not on par with your own. No matter how I feel about him, we cannot risk losing the Winter Prince. It would send everything into chaos.”

“No, we don’t want that…” Boa hummed a melancholic dirge as she added one ingredient after another, some Yunho recognized and some he did not. “I’ll walk your ass back to the manor and deliver this myself, if you don’t mind.”

“You know,” Yunho began, more than irritated now, “I can take two steps without falling onto my beautiful face.”

“That’s exactly right.” Her eyes raked him up and down. “Not much of a nightmare, unless you count the nightmares of every parent wanting their children to bring home someone good. You look like a guy who would set fire to a church if the foundation wasn’t stone.”

His long booted legs crossed at the ankle and Yunho scrunched his nose at her, a little miffed at the comparison. “Thank you…I think…” _Setting fires—while fun, not my forte._

“You’re a nice thing to look at, which makes you lucky, but—and I beg your pardon, Majesty—you have shit for brains.” Another handful of ingredients went into the vat, and it went back to the sick green color. “Intelligence is a nice quality to have. It’s also not hard to obtain. Open a fucking book now and then, sire.”

 “And it is your intelligence that keeps me from gushing about how adorable you are when you talk like that, Dr. Finkelstein.”

“Adorable? Debatable, I suppose.” Stirring the pot with a great machete as it burned a violent shade of pink, she stared at him beadily. “Need I remind you that it was my skill and quick-thinking, and not your _otherworldly beauty_ , which saved you from frostbite when…” She trailed off at the murderous look on Yunho’s face. “Just forget it. Back to this shit. You need a salve, something to spread on the bite area, and then good bandaging.” A sprinkle of spices fell out of her hands, and the concoction flared up, a few jets of steam escaping the lava-like surface. “Let me see…if I do that…and balance it out with…yes…yes that will do…”

And without so much as a warning, she twirled on him and her machete came slashing down.

* * *

Something hard hit him on the chest, and Changmin’s eyes snapped open. “What the…?”

“Stop falling asleep on me, princeling.” Yi Xiang clapped his hands together and the studded skull flew back to his fingers, examining it with faint interest. “Alas, poor…” He frowned. “Whoever this was. It certainly isn’t a prop. I should know. I work with a lot of skulls and shrunken heads in my line of work.” Setting it back on the mantle of the fireplace, he looked back at Changmin. “There’s a reason why Yunho told you to sip that. Can’t say I’m not pleased at having heard Sandy Claws _snore_.”

“Why are you even still—agh.” Changmin let out a long exhalation as pain thrummed in his side. Holding his breath in dread, he kicked the covers off. He needed a look at the bite under his shirt—and it was as grotesque and inflamed as he had imagined. A shark bite would be less worrisome than the oozing, punctured chunk of flesh that was his side currently. What kind of venom dissolved flesh like that? Something very small occurred to him and he grumbled, “I was downed by a _cat_. I’ve never had a soft spot for cats—they usually hiss and swipe at me when I deliver presents on Christmas Eve—but this does not put them any higher on my list.”

“Who can blame them? If an intruder broke into my house on the same night once a year, I’d be ridiculously outraged too.”

“Do you genuinely think you are remotely amusing? Because I have news for you,” Changmin began in a waspish voice, but his verbal sparring partner cut him off with a laugh.

“My my, you are so very touchy!” Changmin’s annoyance flared further when Yi Xiang settled himself in the chair Yunho had just departed. _Something does not sit right with me about you, bastard…and once I figure it out, you might as well be a broken icicle beneath my boot._ “You know, I do wonder if this is irrational or if you are…”

“If I’m _what_?” Changmin had to hiss through clenched teeth; would Yunho hate him if he reopened his wound by attacking this filth?

The purely wicked glint in the man’s eyes became brighter as he said, “Jealous.”  Yi Xiang cackled as Changmin glared up at him, mouth parting in confusion. “What an expression on our usually icy cold prince! About time you showed a bit of emotion. You really are too much. I was starting to think you didn’t know how to express anything but general indifference and disgust, especially towards our beloved king.” He crossed his arms, clicking his tongue, and Changmin had an urge to kick his foot out and send the stupid demon tumbling to the floor. “But jealousy…it is curious to think you jealous of me, prince. I’m sure you are no stranger to the relationship I have with him.”

“Had,” Changmin corrected before he could help himself.

“Oh, you’re more aware than I thought!” Two booted feet appeared on the side of the bed as Yi Xiang tipped the chair back onto its hind legs. “Yes, there were quite a lot of murmurs around the realm about what all occurred in this bedroom and in mine.” His hands went behind his head, completing the picture of total relaxation. “But I wonder how much you actually care. Or rather, I wonder if you know _why_ he ever sought my company. It’s no secret that the Nightmare King and I hardly got along in the past.”

“Even we distant folk in Christmastown knew about your strained relations once upon a time. You were a thorn in his side, but you were valuable.” _Something he told me himself._ “But obviously, he got over it and…sought you out,” he spat, using Yi Xiang’s words in favor of much more inappropriate ones. “It does not concern me why he and you…” _Had an affair that must have had some passion behind it, or you would not be here now. And just what about you is so…so…_

“But it does concern you,” Yi Xiang interrupted; whether his widening eyes was theatrical or not escaped the prince. “Please tell me you are joking! _You_ were the one to rip his heart out of his chest cavity and tear it to unrecognizable bits. Surely you know that, at least. Left him without a second thought. Gone in the dead of night, never to be seen here unless by force…or no other choice, as is our current situation. The Nightmare King, so obviously in love, now heartbroken and tormented by the abrupt departure of his pretentious, droll, overly cautious, _controlling_ —”

Changmin shook. “Enough. Get out. I’d rather be alone with this injury than in your company.”

“Oh, and I was just getting started!” In a flash, Yi Xiang’s strong hands pinned him to the bed; the sheer strength of the other being startled Changmin. Though he fought to get free, he could move no more than a few inches without his wounds making him cringe. “Listen here, princeling. You have the king fooled. You have everyone on his side under the impression that you are the biggest asshole on this side of the world. But you haven’t fooled me.” He straddled Changmin’s waist—the prince winced when his knees brushed his injury—and leaned in, mouth dangerously close to his ear. “I know why you left, sir…and it was for a reason no one would dare believe for a second.” Somehow, his voice dropped lower, no more than a hot breath on his neck. “They were going to overthrow him, weren’t they?”

* * *

“HEY!” Yunho bellowed, clutching his arm as blood dripped down to his hand. Boa pressed the flat of the blade to the cut and collected some blood before letting it fall into the vat. The gurgling substance turned deepest red. “Doctor, might I ask…?”

“Blood magic can be powerful, and that’s the only answer you will get. I’m still pissed about the gong.” Sending him a cruel smile, she grabbed two grinders and shook them over the bubbling surface. A quick stream of her ancient language, and…the salve turned clear, thick, and stopped swirling. Boa scooped some into a metal can and screwed the lid shut. She repeated the process until five cans had been filled, stacked them on the table, and exhaled. “There! That should do it for your dreamy prince, Majesty.”

“Boa, I swear…” When he realized that she was smiling at him with less malice, he gave a barking laugh. “All right, I deserve the teasing. So slap this on under a couple of bandages?”

She cursed under her breath, distracted as she waved her hand; the mess on the table and in the vat disappeared. “Forgot the lemon zest. That won’t smell very pleasant. You’ll have to apologize to the prince for that. But no, you fool. This isn’t some shit Neosporin-type product. It must be applied thickly, at least half of each container every second hour until the inflammation leaves. The wrappings must be loose enough to not dig into the infection or it could be painful, but must fit snugly. Once the redness has gone, just rub enough to cover the bite. The skin will heal, but a scar will probably remain. There are only two types of venom that deal such deadly damage, and from your vague-as-fuck description, it sounds like a Coeurl’s saliva. The prince is lucky to be alive and coherent.”

Yunho knew of the Coeurl—sneaky cat-like creatures that lived in the deepest parts of the Dark Forest. He was king of the realm, and not even he thought to venture in there without a small army to back him. “They’re legendary…but venomous? I don’t remember hearing about that.”

“Not exactly. Their bite is a magical one, usually leads to madness and bad hallucinations. Normal humans would mistake it for venom. But a bite imbued with magic is always worse than I can only take an educated guess about this Bandersnatch, but it sounds like the combination of the saliva with the beast’s own genetic code didn’t do so well. It would explain the potency of the venom, anyway. Because the prince is immortal, it won’t affect him as badly, but to rule out all possible results would be a mistake on our part.” Something sparked in her eyes and she fixed Yunho with a steady gaze. “The servants mentioned something about numbers on the doors.”

“What? Oh yes.” He scratched the side of his bed, trying to remember. “2-3-5-8. The same on every door except ours.”

Boa’s eyes narrowed and she frowned, mumbling to herself. “Two…three…what could they symbolize? A pattern, perhaps? Or a message, standing for…the alphabet…then B-C-E-H. No. Unless those stood for something, like an acronym. Doubt it. Five…eight…” She traced her finger in the air, muttering under her breath. “…two…three…a street number somewhere? An address? The last numbers of a phone number? Three…five…” Her fingertip touched the hard surface of the table, drawing the numbers. “Two…three…two thousand, three hundred—no no, I feel that’s wrong…”

Her finger stopped. She outlined it again. “Two…three…” And then her hand moved an inch away. “Five…eight…” Boa stared down at the table, a look of horror dawning on her face. “It…maybe? Possibly? Not separate numbers. Double digits.” Yunho knew better than to interrupt her thinking but he knew she was on the cusp of a great realization. “Twenty three…fifty eight. Oh!” She clapped a hand to her mouth, and he startled, too. “Twenty-three fifty-eight! Of course! That must be it, but…if it is…”

“Doctor.” He cleared his throat and she jumped, remembering his presence. “Care to explain?”

“Twenty-three fifty-eight. Not a street address. Not a year. A set of numbers. A time.” Her eyes swiveled over to him, and he frowned, trying to understand. “23:58 hours. Standard way of telling the time for much of the world. What strikes you as odd about that time, sire?”

Yunho pictured the numbers as if they floated before him. “23:58…well, that would be 11:58 P.M. in other places…”

“What is another way to tell that time?” she said slowly.

“Well, that’d be two minutes to mid—” He understood. And dread filled him at once. “It’s a reference to the Doomsday Clock. Yi Xiang had an interest in it…this must be why. When the clock strikes midnight, all hell breaks loose. Humans would call it a global catastrophe. If it hits midnight, it means something akin to an apocalypse taking over reality. Whatever’s controlling the Bandersnatch…”

“Has something in store that may strike the realms and anyone in it, and it’s not good news,” Boa finished for him. “If that is the case, then we need to leave immediately. Halloweentown—nay, everyone in the realms might be in grave danger, my king. This is Oogie we’re talking about. Ah, I need a bag.” Snap of the fingers, and a dark sack appeared on the table next to the cans. “That salve is a fucking good one, though. If it can treat normal Coeurl bites…I think it should work on another bite. Then again, what the hell does his survival matter if we’re all going to die anyway?”

“No need to be so positive, doctor.”

“Yeah, well…not even my clever ass can save us all.”

 _And this is all a guess on the doctor’s end._ He frowned as they began to hurry back up the laboratory steps to the entryway. _What if it doesn’t work? What will happen to Changmin? And the reference to a doomsday…Yi Xiang swore he could not lie and said he was not involved. But the report from today stated his interest. If this doesn’t paint his hands red, what would?_

Unexpectedly, a great clanging sound and Boa’s soft scream of frustration brought him back to reality. “Idiots! Morons! Fucking…no-good…dingbats!” she seethed as she stomped over to the door and yanked it open. “READ THE SIGN! THAT’S ALL I ASK! THROW EGGS AT MY HOUSE, TAKE MY GARDEN GNOMES, LEAVE SHIT ON MY DOORSTEP, I DON’T CARE! BUT _READ THE FUCKING SIGN_ , HOW _HARD_ OF A REQUEST IS THAT TO _FOLLOW_?!”

The visitor threw his arms over his tousled blond hair, cowering. “I am m-most sorry, you most f-frightful lady!” he shrieked, trembling as she fixed him with a glare that could melt the leather on Yunho’s expensive wardrobe. “But you s-see…I c-come bearing news f-from, uh…uh…San V-Valentino’s realm!” When he noticed the Nightmare King looking over the tiny woman’s head curiously, he paled and started to back up on the steps, muttering about making calls and not having enough time to do things the proper way. He sunk into a bow, and that was when Yunho noticed the wing tattoos peeking out from beneath his white mesh shirt.

“One of the cherubs? Tell me, what is wrong? Have you come to speak to me?” he asked. He was short on time, if all their assumptions were correct.

“Your M-majesty, I…yes, I have!” The cherub man’s eyes flickered from him to Boa (who still looked ready to murder something) and then he cried out, “The p-people who witnessed the attack in t-the Hinterlands…they’ve come out of their shock!” When he realized that they were too intent on listening to his words, he grew a little braver. “And they believe they know who did the attacks on the Doors, your Majesty! Some remember a person nearby.”

Boa glanced at Yunho, but he had already reached for his coat. “Dear cherub, if you will accompany us to my manor, you may recount what you heard to us.”

* * *

Lock, Shock, and Barrel had since come back from the Hinterlands, taking notes for their boss to review. The numbers in the door—2358—were impossible to crack. Though devilish little kids, they were clever and none of the usual pattern and code-cracking skills had worked. Their measurements of the claw marks told them of the animal that left them; Shock sent a crow with the creature’s identity on a scrap of paper to Yi Xiang and the king. Now, they would await his return from moving the injured prince to the king’s home.

“Wonder what made Bandy so aggressive?” Lock pondered aloud as the bathtub slowly trudged across the rickety bridge that led to the front door of Yi Xiang’s manor. “She’s usually so sweet…”

“Maybe it was Barrel’s jokes that set her off. I mean, they’re so bad!”

“HEY!”

Shock and Lock giggled shrilly as their youngest companion hung his head, face burning. “Oh look!” Shock cried, pointing up to the windows; light poured out from the highest most one. “Master’s home!”

“Good, we can ask him about the numbers!” And they went back to bickering about what the digits could mean, the bathtub taking them up all the winding paths. It was much too heavy for the lift, so the Boogeyman had built a series of ledges for their travels. In no time at all, the great iron door loomed before them. It stood a little open, and more lamplight snuck out from the crack. “Master!” Lock called, wriggling over the edge of the bathtub as Barrel helped Shock out. “We’re back!”

No answer.

“Master!” Shock shrieked, after sharing a confused look with the other two devil kids. “Are you in here?”

A tan hand curled around the edge of the door, pushing it open. Yi Xiang stepped out, hair coming forward so that it fell over his eyes and hid his face in shadow. “Welcome back,” he greeted them with a grin that would have sent many sane men scurrying. “I have been…waiting.”

They stood in a little line, practically bouncing on their toes. Lock took the lead. “Master! We did a further, thorough examination of the Holiday Doors for you as you asked. Took down the number! But we don’t know what it means,” he confessed sadly. “But you’re the smartest person in the realm! We just know you can figure it out yourself! Here,” and he jutted his arms out, holding a small black notebook. “Look! See? Lots of notes.”

“Good…very good…”

Barrel peered up at his master’s face, and the color drained out of his skin. He fidgeted and poked Shock in the shoulder, but she ignored him. “We also sent a crow ahead. Did you get it? The animal who did everything was the Bandersnatch,” she went on anyway. “Don’t know what happened to her, boss. Acting strange, if you ask us. Maybe she has a toothache. Ooh, or maybe she has a thorn stuck in her paw! Poor baby Bandy.”

Lock nodded in agreement as Barrel poked Shock a second time. “Something is definitely up. So, Boss! What do we do?”

“Come…come in and…wait…”

Barrel prodded Shock again, this time much harder.

“Stop that! It’s annoying!” she complained, turning on him with a snarl. But he wasn’t looking at her; he was staring up at Yi Xiang with fright. “What?!”

“Not Master,” Barrel whispered. Shock opened her mouth to ask what was wrong with him, and Lock turned to them with a petulant frown. At the same time, Yi Xiang’s hands shot forward and tight steel ropes appeared out of thin air, snaking around the children’s bodies. It happened so fast, they didn’t have time to scream before the impostor pulled them into his chamber, head jerking back as he let out a hideous laugh.

* * *

“They were going to overthrow him, weren’t they?”

_He knows._

Any pretense of self-control snapped at that moment. Changmin roared and, using his long legs, placed his feet against Yi Xiang’s chest and thrust him off the bed. Yi Xiang gave a shout, landing ungracefully on his back. The duvet and sheets tumbled to the floor in a satin waterfall as Changmin stood, his thin body trembling with rage. “You impudent nightcrawler,” he snarled, hands clenching into fists at his side. “That has nothing to do with you. The past is in the past, and I have put it behind me. Yunho has moved on. So have I. Trying to reopen old wounds won’t work.”

Yi Xiang’s smirk had gone. “I don’t know what’s more amusing—your obvious attempt at distraction or your general ignorance. If neither of you face what truly happened and act as if the other is the bad guy for driving you away, then what? And they told me you were a smart fellow! Pretending the spiders aren’t there won’t stop them from spinning their webs above your bed! Ignoring the problem won’t wipe the slate clean; it just smears the ink, doesn’t it?”

“STOP THIS!”

“I know about the plot, prince. You found out about a coup, a plan to depose the king and place someone new on the throne, someone the rebels wanted to have as a leader. And instead of turning anyone in, a decision I am sure you will forever kick yourself for…you removed yourself from the picture. An outsider would wonder why, but I know. It’s because it was all…your…fault. _You_ left. _You_ turned your back on someone who loved and trusted you beyond anything. And you knew deep down that if you didn’t leave, everything would unfold and you—Prince Changmin of Christmastown—would be responsible for the king losing his crown.”

The words rang out in the silence that followed. Changmin was beyond any rage or fury he could summon. He was…tired. Tired of fighting him, exhausted from the day’s events, and in a way…he was glad that someone else knew about it. The burden was not only on his shoulders. The fact that Yi Xiang was the one that knew did not settle well with him, but he was someone, and that helped. _It was my fault. He’s absolutely right._

But this jerk was not about to have the last word. “Pardon my ill manners, but will you please fuck off?”

“Dare I believe my own ears? More swearing from you?” He sprang up and drew himself to his full height, a few inches taller than Changmin’s already lanky frame. Jabbing a threatening finger into Changmin’s chest, he snapped, “Do your worst to me, highness. Darling Yunho isn’t here to save you or stop me. You want to have a go? Have a go. We’ll see who comes out on top. I always do. Don’t you know? They were going to replace him with me.” Changmin’s mind ground to a halt, and he found he could not meet Yi Xiang’s eyes. “Didn’t they mention who they were going to stick on the throne? I was the brilliant choice. The first Boogeyman, a master of terror—a connoisseur of fear. The haunting shadow on the moon at night, filling all…”

But the thoughts came forth, like gears whizzing back into action. _Shadow…he’s a shadow on the moon…his_ shadow _…_

Standing so boldly in front of him, the fire smoldering but still giving off enough light in the room, the Boogeyman cast no shadow over him.

“I knew something was wrong with you.”

Yi Xiang narrowed his eyes. “Whatever are you talking about?” he asked coldly.

“Look around you. What do you see? Or rather, what don’t you see? Your shadow,” Changmin finished, and he was grimly pleased when Yi Xiang’s lips parted in shock. “Everything casts a shadow, especially in this sort of lighting. Yunho didn’t notice, but I have. You know the story of Peter Pan and his shadow? How they separated and his shadow wreaked havoc on Neverland? Where’s your shadow, Mr. Boogeyman? What have you done with it?”

“Precisely what I would like to know,” a humorless voice called from the doorway.

Yunho had his arms crossed, his face dark with suspicion. He slowly paced into the room, eyes never leaving Yi Xiang as he addressed him formally. “Received an interesting piece of news from San Valentino’s realm, you see. The folk that were witnesses to the first assault on the Holiday Doors finally came out of their shock and were able to talk to their own investigators. They had a lot to say and…well, here’s the funny part: some of them _swear_ to have seen you in the Hinterlands moments before they were attacked and the door ripped off its hinges.”

Changmin gaped. “How…do you know…?”

“The servants are a gossiping bunch,” Yunho said before his eyes cut back to Yi Xiang.

“I had a promise from your Majesty that I would not be indicted in this case in any way,” Yi Xiang responded in a lethal tone. “I will spend the next hundred centuries drilling this through your head and I expect you to sometimes remember it—I cannot lie. Call it a side effect of being what I am, but it is an impossible feat for me to do. I swore that I had nothing to do with—”

There was a weird smile on Yunho’s face as he disrupted what was sure to be a good defense. “And that is true. You were not responsible for this. However, you did not know that your shadow was. Could any of us call our shadows part of ourselves? Or are they merely there because we are? That is why you could say that you were not involved and have it fall as a truth. It was not you, but something that came from you. A self from another self.”

“Knock off the poetry,” Changmin muttered. He ignored Yunho’s fleeting grin and said, “So you’re saying that this idiot’s shadow is responsible for the damage. Fine, that’s fine. I’ve lived long enough to just accept this kind of stuff at face value. That leaves a lot unsolved. What about the numbers on the…?” He suddenly felt very faint; he gripped the bed post just as Yunho and (shockingly enough) Yi Xiang took a step forward, faces awash with alarm. “What’s…what’s wrong?” When he let his hand drift down to his stomach, and felt a wet stickiness, his mind blanked. “Oh.” The injury had begun to bleed again, probably from his rising to challenge Yi Xiang. “I should…I should…” He fell backward onto the bed; Yunho exclaimed his name but he was awash with so much pain that it was no more than a buzz in his ears. _Damn it, he was baiting me and this happens._

“And down goes Frosty.”

“I told you to leave him alone,” Yunho said quietly.

“And I told you I could not make any promises. Do what you will with him. I grow weary of this, and let’s not forget that we all have duties to attend to, no matter what is going on behind closed doors.”

The king would not budge, however. “Your shadow, dear Oogie. That is not a small matter, and I would like to find him— _it_ —as soon as possible. We must get the Bandersnatch under my control and find your shadow self before he commits any other acts of vandalism. Or anything worse. Now that I know what’s out there doing this, I want it to stop.”

“What you desire is what I shall deliver. Give the Doctor my regards; I imagine she insisted on accompanying you to berate Sandy Claws for doing such a stupid thing as allowing himself to be attacked. May you be back on your feet soon, prince,” he added insincerely. Changmin had closed his eyes, but he heard Yi Xiang stride from the room, slamming the door behind him. It groaned open a couple of seconds later, and smaller footsteps crept across the room. He jerked his eyes back open, fighting the dizziness; in front of him stood one of the tiniest women he knew, hands on her hips as she walked forward.

“Oh…’lo, Boa.”

“Doctor. Doctor. Doctor. I have a title, and everyone refuses to use it!” she tittered, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her small hands found the hem of his shirt and dragged it up; judging from her small intake of breath and Yunho’s quiet curse, Changmin did not want to see the bite again. “It’s worse than I imagined. His Majesty said it was infected, but this…”

“The salve will help, right?” There was no mistaking the raw desperation in Yunho’s voice. He towered over Changmin and Boa, helping her remove the gross excuse of a bandage for new ones. But Boa didn’t respond. She only pursed her lips together and shrugged as she went to work cleaning the wound and wiping the blood off his torso.

Just the slightest touch or brush of fingers hurt Changmin. He kept biting on his lower lip and shutting his eyes tight, refusing to let the pain get the best of him. Boa barked at Yunho to fetch a bowl of his cleanest water with a washcloth to finish wiping the mess. The king returned in record time, choosing to watch from a few yards away as she applied the salve, rubbing it into the open flesh and spreading it a few inches out from the wound. There was no way to ignore the pain; as he had taken the entire potion Yunho left him, he could not go back to sleep.

He found something to distract him, though; Yunho’s eyes found him, swirling with unabashed concern, and he let the memory finally come up—one he had fought down for so long, but he had no strength left in him.

* * *

_As Yunho’s long legs turned around the corner, Changmin groped around the floor for his own clothes. Something he could throw onto himself for about sixty seconds before the king stripped him again and they continued their intimacy. He could not stop himself from grinning smugly; he was well aware of how good he was in bed, and for Yunho to point it out made things so much better. If his parents could see him now…well, they’d be furious. But they weren’t there. He was his own person, and he chose Yunho._

_He loved Yunho._

_That was why the temptation to just run away with him was so great. They could manage it. They could leave and never look back—because they would have each other. Changmin could envision it, as easily as breathing. Why stay a prince when he had love in his hands? Why continue to do a job when someone so near and dear to his heart could show him the wonders of the world? Marriage wasn’t necessary. As long as they were together, things could work out. They could be two men without a care in the world. They could be in a relationship and it would be…okay._

_The entrance hall appeared empty as he slipped out, hurriedly doing a few buttons on his shirt. Changmin looked towards the kitchens, thoughtful. Perhaps he could grab some ice before he headed upstairs…the king would love his idea involving ice in their sexual escapades…_

_“…what the rush is. He’s practically out the door as it is.”_

_His heart pounded in his chest and his feet froze for a split second. Voices came from behind the great tapestry of the royal line—where he knew a secret passage hid. Changmin ducked behind a pedestal and tapped into the powers he saved for emergency situations. He was not to use them in other realms, but…well, as he had little choice…_

_One murmured incantation later, and anyone who stared too long at the spot where he hid may see something amiss, but it would be blurred and they would quickly lose interest. Not quite invisibility but it would do. He was, after all, the Winter Prince; grumpy old immortal as he was, he had a bit of power in him, too._

_Yunho’s imp advisor, a witch, her werewolf partner, and a group of gangly skeletons pushed the tapestry aside, talking quietly. He strained to hear them, but dared not make a sound. “You call it a rush, I call it a step forward,” the werewolf argued, his voice scratchy like a growl. “The world is progressing into a new age, and we have been left behind. Advancement in so many fields has happened in the different realms already. What’s holding us back here?”_

_“The king!” the skeletons whispered excitedly._

_Changmin’s heart sunk._

_“Yes, our foolish king who rules with his emotions instead of logic and rationality—he who puts matters of the heart over matters of his own kingdom! I knew it would be a tough adjustment when he took over from his father, but King Yanghyun…at least he had plans to help the town move alongside the modern period. But this king…” The imp looked around, lowering his voice to nothing more than a breath. “His relationship with the overseer of Christmastown is known across the land. Both are popular rulers—but even the Winter Prince is doing what he must and should for his realm. Meanwhile, our king sits in his royal bedchambers, writing love poems and dreaming of situations that cannot come true! They mustn’t!”_

_“Like what?” the witch asked, goggling at him._

_“He don’t like being a ruler anymore,” one of the skeletons said. “And if ye ask me, I’m willing to bet my horse and buggy that it’s because of the damn prince.”_

_“Of course it is,” the imp replied shortly. “I should know, I spend quite a lot of time with his Majesty. Love changes our rulers, in case you haven’t noticed. The queen—may she rest in peace—was the love of Yanghyun’s life, but she kept the king grounded. This Changmin fellow…he’s doing the exact opposite. You should hear what the king asks me when we’re in private quarters. What do I think of his boyfriend? What if Halloween and Christmas could work together more closely? What if we ran away, wouldn’t that be so romantic?”_

_“Ha!” The werewolf snorted. “What a nancy boy!”_

_“That’s not all,” one of the other skeletons said, her voice reedy. “Remember how he used to always attend town hall meetings? He’s been absent during most because they coincide with the free days of the Winter Prince.”_

_“And let’s not forget that one of the maids caught him with the prince in a compromising position right in the middle of Oogie Boogie’s first nightmare exposure on New York City!” While the group shuddered, Changmin closed his eyes, sweat starting to gather on his forehead. He did not want to hear anymore, but…_

_The imp spoke again, scowling heavily. “I am tired of living in the shadow of a king who does not put his people first, who would rather run off with a prince because he loves him. It is foolishness I cannot overlook and it is a way of life I will never respect.” He drew himself taller (though this only raised him to about chest-height of the shortest skeleton). “He spoke of marriage around me today, and that is what made my resolve harden.”_

_“Oh my!” witch gasped and Changmin saw the skeletons shake their heads, bones clattering where they sat. He felt something cold grip his heart tight. It would be plain naïve of him to assume that no rebel factions lived in the realms—but to hear them plotting like this…so casually in the house of their king…_

_And to hear that Yunho wanted to go so far as marry him…_

_“No more.” The werewolf cracked his knuckles and grumbled something unintelligible. “I can’t bow to a king that neglects his duties.”_

_“We already have his replacement waiting in the wings,” the imp continued. “He is more than fit to rule, and will take Halloweentown into a new, better age. I wish it did not have to come to this, but the king should have considered his own future past marrying a prince who would never leave his realm and his duties for anyone, not even for love.”_

_“It is unfortunate,” the witch lamented slowly, sweeping her hat off in a sad motion. “He was so promising once upon a time…why did the prince have to become involved with him?” The others murmured their own opinions but they had begun to shuffle toward the double doors, fastening their cloaks for the cool weather outside. When they had gone, the doors shutting behind the last skeleton, Changmin found he could not move a step from his hiding place. He remained in his blurry state, unable to register that surely Yunho would start to wonder where he was._

_The urge to run until his feet could no longer carry him waged war with reason inside him. The horror of it was that truth rang in their words. Hadn’t Yunho just said that they should take off without looking back? Hadn’t he confessed that love alone was enough to do such a thing? And Changmin had actually thought about it…he had considered it, even if for a moment, and it bothered him that he had._

_For all the shortcomings that they surely exaggerated, he could not help but wonder if he was to blame for Yunho’s behavior._

_Staying in the manor was too suffocating for him. He needed a way out. He had to think. He had to…_

_He_ needed _to leave._

_Changmin didn’t look back. If he did, he would succumb and give in and the realms be damned. But they could not take that course in life._

_And when the winds brought his name, a pain-filled scream in his ears…his hand stilled on the door to Christmastown, salty tears still wet on his face. “If you can ever find it in your heart to forgive me,” he started to whisper, but found he could not choke out anything else. The tormented calls of his name continued, but he stepped into the tree’s narrow opening and shut the door behind him, cutting the screams off abruptly._


	3. The Reveal

Boa’s impressively filthy vocabulary rose in volume, until the fog of the memory wiped completely from Changmin’s mind. He felt an odd warming sensation on his skin and realized that was why she was yelling. He turned his face away, sucking in a quick breath. Yunho had taken things into his own hands—literally—and she was visibly angry.

“Don’t listen to me. The fuck do I know? I’m just a fucking doctor.”

He stared, dumbfounded. “I am literally imitating your movements from two minutes ago. How on earth could I have gotten it all wrong in less time than that?”

“Rubbing too wide of an area, putting too much salve, your fingers aren’t as clean as mine, you have dirt on your body—who leaves dirt on their fucking body?—and you _aren’t even looking at the wound_ , stop making goo-goo eyes at the prince!” Despite both rulers now looking at her with appraising eyes, she just let out a frustrated grumble and turned her back to the bed, rifling through her bag. “…probably get gangrene…ha, Green Christmas indeed…”

Ignoring that, Yunho glanced over at Changmin, his brow furrowed. “How are you feeling?”

Changmin shrugged. “I’m still alive, so I think that counts as a victory. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Sometimes I appreciate your attempts at keeping the conversation light, but you don’t have to sugarcoat around me.” Did he realize that he had stopped applying the thick gel? Or that Boa was still in the room? “You looked like you were distracted while she worked her magic on you. Everything okay? You’re not hallucinating, are you?” he asked quickly, alarm lacing his voice.

“Are you a hallucination?”

“Don’t believe so, prince,” Yunho grinned.

“Then your answer is probably not. I assure you, if you are a hallucination, you’re a very good one.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Yunho’s hand drifted down Changmin’s side until he found the prince’s hand and stopped there. “Salve should be settling in. The doctor warned that you may experience some strange side effects, but nothing too deadly. We think we caught it in time.” His hand clamped down tightly—Changmin felt how clammy his palm was—as he muttered, “Lucky we did…I don’t…if you had…”

If that wasn’t a verbal cue, Changmin didn’t know what would be. The matter could not be put off any longer.He caught Boa’s curious gaze over the top of the king’s head. There was a question in her eyes, and he nodded ever so slightly. A tiny smile flickered across her face before her stern look replaced it. “Your Majesty, I must return to my laboratory,” she announced. “I’m fairly certain that you are more than capable of not killing him at this point. But he needs rest,” she emphasized, drilling holes into the back of Yunho’s head.

Changmin fought hard to hide his amused smirk as Yunho rolled his eyes upward. “Of course, doctor. Thank you for everything.”

“Have a good evening, lords.” She swung her hair over her shoulder, fastened her cloak, and then swept out the door.

There was an awkward pause. Changmin kept his gaze trained on his sleeve, picking at a bare thread that refused to remain tucked in. Yunho stopped playing with the comforter and cleared his throat. “I should leave you here to rest. One of my servants can relay a message to the elves at the workshop. Perhaps they can send someone to fetch you.”

Annoyance flared in Changmin. “I was bitten. My legs work fine. I can take myself back.”

Yunho nodded, though he looked a little crestfallen. “At least send a message back letting us know you returned safely. Yi Xiang and I can finish the investigation so you can hurry back to Christmastown. I understand that you are incredibly busy, and I don’t want to burden you with this anymore.”

“Are you saying that sincerely, or because a goddamn cat bit me?”

“Changmin…”

It burst out of him before he could catch its tail end. “I’m sorry.”

Yunho stared in confusion. “About what? Getting bitten? I like bites, prince, but this one isn’t one I would categorize as a fun one.”

“No…about…” Changmin took a deep breathing, stealing himself. “For everything that happened between us.” Yunho’s hands fell limply onto the bed. “I know I never explained myself, but an explanation won’t fix the fact that I hurt you, and never did anything to right my wrongs. But I want to…I want to tell you why. I don’t expect forgiveness or anything,” he added quickly. “I just want to spill everything out and let you decide what to do with it.”

“I’m listening,” the king replied slowly.

Where should he begin? “You scare me to death,” Changmin said at last.

Yunho’s crooked smile made his heart clench. “This may come as a surprise to you, but my title here is Nightmare King and Commander of Halloweentown. I tend to scare people every now and then. Haven’t seen many scared to death, but as I do like my citizens, I try to tone things down.”

“No, no…” The prince shook his head. “Everything about you scares me. It’s not your demeanor or your job—I’m much more frightened by what my elves will do if I ever miss a deadline. No, it…it was the way you just opened yourself to me. You know that I’m the only one left in my line. No siblings, no other family. I didn’t need anyone, or I thought I didn’t. And then I…” He laughed quietly. “I met this…colorful, passionate, wicked, emotional wreck of a guy that called himself a king, and he ran over me like a steamroller. He showed me a lot and introduced me to a way of life I never would have acknowledged before. He and I were not as black and white as we thought, but more varying shades of gray. Both realm rulers, both with a list of responsibilities too long for one person, and both had just lost their fathers.

“I was prepared to do a lot for you, but hearing you talk about leaving the throne behind for a life with me…that I was why your mind was not the same anymore…even now, I can’t describe how I felt.” He squeezed his eyes shut; there was a reason people had stapled him with an icy, uncaring personality. Talking about his own feelings was difficult—especially where they concerned the man sitting by his bedside. “It felt wonderful and terrible all at once. You were asking a lot of me and…I have never felt so torn in my life, Yunho. Here was a gift, neatly placed before me with a ribbon, and I wanted it so much.” His voice began to shake. “When you went upstairs that night, I was actually considering it. A life with you and only you, the greatest love I’ll ever have. And then…”

“Then?” Yunho prompted him when Changmin found it impossible to talk.

“We knew…we’re rulers. We are a monarchy. Few of the realms follow the democracies ever so popular in the world today. I am a prince, and you are a king. There were rebels, there were groups unhappy with our work—we knew this. We’ve always known this.” Several deep steadying breaths before he let out what had longed to escape him. “I heard your advisor, that imp…and a few others talking of a coup. They wanted to overthrow you and place someone preferred on the throne.”

There was no humor in Yunho’s smile now. “With Yi Xiang, of all people. He’d sooner burn the square to the ground than accept such an offer.”

A strange buzzing filled Changmin’s head. “You…you knew?”

Yunho leveled a patient look at him. “My dear prince, I am once again offended by you. I am the _king_ of Halloweentown. Few details as to its underground workings go unnoticed by me. Of course I knew that my advisor wanted nothing more than to see me replaced, and with someone he felt would bring the town back to glory days the rest of the people would rather leave behind. But here we are, so many years later, and I am still here.”

Changmin felt much like a five year old child now. “I thought…but…why didn’t you—?”

“Fire him? Get rid of someone who wanted me ousted, or keep him where I could watch him?” His mouth twitched again. “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. As obtuse as they can be, humans get it right now and then. Isn’t that something?”

Now he felt more foolish indeed. Changmin had assumed for so long that Yunho’s barbed-wire attitude change and his resentful words were all because of his abrupt departure. “So then…if you knew about the coup…why did you come to hate me?”

“You’re an idiot,” Yunho chuckled, and took Changmin’s hand, turning it over and over in his own. “I can never hate you. I can’t even hate what you did. You leaving because you thought you were responsible for my change of heart in leadership was not the problem. I was hurt by the fact that you did not trust me enough to talk to me about your own feelings. You made backwards assumptions and thought that distance would solve our problems. You made a decision for us both, and I didn’t like that. I know it’s hard to talk about your own emotions. But in a relationship, there has to be communication between us. We help each other, we try to understand each other, and find stability. I gave all of me, but it never felt like I had all of you.”

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much of me you had.” His fingers curled around Yunho’s, and sighed. “You won’t have all of me, and I will never have all of you. It’s not a romance thing, okay? It’s just…life. We are leaders of our realms. We must give what we have to our people, nothing less. But you received a big part of me, and I never wanted it back. I thought maybe if I left a piece of me with you, I could go back one day, on my knees, and beg you to take me back. I’m a moron, and don’t contradict me, please. I put myself beyond forgiveness. I know that now.” If he squeezed the king’s hands any tighter, his nails might leave a mark. “But you had to know why I did it. I could not do that to you. I could not allow what you had built to come crumbling down because of me. It would be the most selfish thing I’d ever do. So I left. You had to know. I will never be able to make up for what I did. But you…have to know.”

Deafening silence followed this. Finally: “Quite a speech, prince.”

“With no rehearsals, either.” Their eyes met, and neither could look away anymore. “I love you, Yunho. I never had the courage to say it when we were together, but I will always care about you. I hated being away from you. I learned to live like a shell, but it was awful. My days with you were the happiest times of my life. No matter where we go from here, I am forever yours. Please don’t order me away because I’m injured. Let me stay with you. Please.”

Giving a verbal answer would not be enough. The king and the prince were beyond what little words could express. Between one moment and the next, their lips met in that hush, soundlessly but filled with what they needed to convey to each other—inexplicable trust and a reassurance that the past was not quite the past yet. Yunho found that his hands shook from the overwhelming emotion; Changmin was unsurprised to feel his whole body tremble from a single kiss. Another moment, and they were side-by-side on the vast bed of Yunho’s, a king tenderly stroking arms and cheeks he thought he might never feel again—and he was mindful about that injury. He had to go slow, for the prince’s sake. Legs tangled together, lower bodies pressed flush, and Yunho had to mentally order his heart to keep beating. Passing out at this moment would be embarrassing and highly inappropriate—and if Changmin could withstand pain for this, he could at least control his heart rate. _Slowly, slowly…_

Alas, as the Nightmare King, patience was not exactly in his list of virtues. “You’re hurt, I know,” he began, trying to talk around Changmin’s hungry little mouth, “but…I mean…”

“We can be careful,” Changmin growled as his hands curled into the soft material that was Yunho’s shirt. He remembered that if he pushed just enough, clothes being taken off properly was not an issue—ripping things off was more their style, anyway. Tearing clothes didn’t sound too bad, in his opinion, but it was a rather nice shirt. He could let Yunho take the lead, as usual—or he could jump him as he had wanted to do all damn night long and let bygones be bygones.

“No…I should…stop…”

“You’re not king of me. We’re not stopping.”

“Okay.” Yunho’s eyes widened as that lovely pair of lips found his neck for a few seconds, and the king moaned. “Yeah, no…no stopping.”

“Now shift your leg a bit that way and things will be so much better.”

“Better…” He could not get enough of that lower lip. He needed to bite it. So he tipped the chin up and surged forward with his teeth, earning a groan from Changmin. “Did that hurt?”

“It felt really good.” Long fingers ensnared that beautiful moonlight hair and brought Yunho back for another kiss, but not before he whispered, “Just mind my right side, and we’re fine.”

* * *

Fires were more than capable of dying, but theirs had just burned to small embers, ready to burst back into that beautiful flame if they only stoked it a few more times.

There was no denying how much Yunho had missed him. Not just in the physical sense—the lust that had built between them all this time came pouring out in a matter of minutes—but in the emotional sense. Here was a person whom he could share love with. Here was someone who knew him, got him, and saw no reason to build a fence around Yunho for his own welfare. True…he had left for what remained to be a silly and stupid reason. But he knew now that Changmin had done it out of love, and wiser people have done more foolish things.

He knew this man so well. He knew where to kiss him, where to lay his hands, how to hold his weight off Changmin’s body as they rememorized every sharp curve, every contour. Yunho stayed cautious around the injury area, but it did not stop him from moving down Changmin’s body and brushing his lips against the bandages, wishing his love had not been harmed. But then, would they have been led to this moment? Yunho thought so, anyway. Something primal and deep within him craved the Winter Prince’s touch, and eventually he would have surrendered to its call.

Changmin felt similar, and just as strongly. Once upon a time, Yunho had always taken the lead during sex, preferring to just initiate everything and wait for Changmin to follow through. Now, they were equals in going forward and taking things to another, hotter level. When Changmin’s hand flattened against Yunho’s stomach and slid smoothly between their twisted legs, his breath hitched in time with Yunho’s strangled gasp. So much heat! Then again, there had always been heat. For two rulers of the cooler seasons, things always managed to stay toasty between them when they came together. _Nice to see that hasn’t changed,_ Changmin thought just as Yunho’s mouth on a particularly sensitive area of his body stole his thoughts again. He wished they could throw caution to the winds and just focus on getting off, and being responsible for the other’s loss of sense and time. Still, they had to be careful. Forgetting about the wound in Changmin’s side would cause him pain (and ruin the mood), and it would reopen. A slightly different angle and Yunho’s legs might accidentally brush the wrappings.

The king quickly solved that problem—a neck crick seemed imminent in his future, but the pillow beneath his backside helped a bit.

Sheets covered them modestly afterward, though Yunho could have easily done without. Bless the prince; he did not hold back in the bedroom, but there was no way he would let the servants view him so stark naked once again. Changmin raised his arm, and Yunho understood; his hand glided across Changmin’s broad chest and pulled the prince in. He laid his head on that chest and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. “Did I ever tell you how warm you are for a snowman?”

“Do not ruin my moment,” Changmin threatened, but it was a light tone. “This may be your bed, but I’m the injured one. I can and will kick you out.”

“Such harsh words! You don’t mean them, I hope.”

“No, but just the mental image of me handing your butt to you like I did to Yi Xiang is amusing enough.” He played with Yunho’s pretty white locks, letting them fall softly back into place. “Boa told you to let me rest. I guess if you twist her words a little—no, a lot—we did exactly that. Naughty.”

“I can be naughtier. Give me ten minutes to recover, though. I forgot how spent you make me.”

The prince laughed quietly, kissing the top of Yunho’s head. “She probably expected me to take advantage of you as usual. Maybe I’m the bad one this time. You lost your touch, old man.” When Yunho sputtered most uncharacteristically at that, he laughed again. “Teasing, teasing!”

Yunho rolled onto an elbow, hovering above Changmin. He attempted a dangerous expression, but figured it came out soppier than he meant. “Well, in any case, we can both be naughty when we feel _up_ to it.” His leg came between Changmin’s, and he smiled when the prince groaned softly. “I think you may have beaten me to the chase, though.”

“Why, you…wily scoundrel!” Again, it was meant to be indignant and reproachful, but as they were only a few minutes post-coitus, things were coming out laced with giddiness and joy. It didn’t help that Changmin snaked his hands behind Yunho’s neck and pulled him further down. “Remind me how easily we both get aroused, yeah?”

“Certainly,” Yunho murmured, brushing his lips against Changmin’s. “After all, who am I to deny a prince?”

Of course, at that precise moment, the door to Yunho’s room blasted open, and Yi Xiang burst inside, breathing heavily. Changmin cursed rather loudly and Yunho rolled to the side, staring. The scariest man he knew looked the worse for wear. Blood flowed freely out of a cut in his forehead, his clothes were torn, and he held his left arm at a weird angle. Nevertheless, the moment he laid eyes on the two very naked men gaping at him with shock, he groaned and slapped a hand over his eyes, letting it fall down his face. “Oh, for the love of…I gave you my word that I would help you find the perpetrator, and this is the thanks I get in return. Majesty, I hold you in the highest respect. Prince, I…think you’re very attractive in and out of clothes. But you both lack the ability to prioritize that which you must do and that which you need to wait on doing. Or _who_ , for that matter.”

“I’ve waited long enough,” Yunho replied, almost growling.

“Okay, let’s try a different approach. He’s _injured_.”

Changmin cleared his throat, pink in the face. “You know…with how we acted before, injuries during intimacy were not uncomm—”

Exasperation showing, Yi Xiang interrupted that thought before anything more private could be shared. “We have a situation in the form of my shadow taking over my manor house and holding Lock, Shock, and Barrel hostage. It’s more powerful than I thought, and I do not like that one bit. As you can see, I did not get out unharmed. But the three…I don’t want to leave them to die, my king. As far as minions come, they are invaluable and have rendered me a great service. I would like to keep them.”

It was hard to believe that the Boogeyman actually cared about the children, but he was not completely heartless _._ The king knew that. _If he was, he would have never comforted me._ And as he thought it, Yunho could have sworn a flicker of uncontained jealousy crossed Yi Xiang’s face as he sat up in bed, but it was gone and he wasn’t convinced it had ever been there at all.

“Very well, then. If you will allow us some time to prepare—”

“Sire, my apologies for rushing you two out of what must surely be a warm and grossly fuzzy moment, but they won’t last long against him. He built a cage from shadows and not even my powers can break the bars.”

That made Yunho spring into action—or as much as he could, being nude and all. He leaned over the side of the bed for what clothing was within reach and spoke to Yi Xiang, who had already turned to the door. “Wait in the foyer while we get dressed and armed. You may want to call Boa back from her laboratory. Let her know I owe her another favor, but just get her to agree to aid us. And don’t ring the damn bell!” he called after Yi Xiang’s retreating figure.

The prince spoke up immediately. “I’m going to fight with you.”

“How did I know you were going to insist on that?”

“Insist? More like take off and hope you don’t catch me before I get there,” Changmin tried to joke, but sobered when Yunho stared at him intensely. “I feel fine. I promise. Whatever was in that salve, it did its job. I’ll be careful, but if you expect me to just sit here and wait as you go off and risk your neck…”

“I would rather risk my life if it meant you would be okay.” When Changmin continued to flit around the room for his clothes—they had been thrown carelessly from the bed, after all—Yunho sighed and bent to snatch up his jeans, turning away. The frustration came out in waves, despite only just patching things up again. “Fine. Don’t come crying to me if you bleed out. I try to keep you safe and sound in my room, and you do the exact opposite. It’s textbook Changmin, I suppose. Why am I even surprised?” He paused when warm arms wrapped around his middle and squeezed. “Hey…”

Changmin spoke in a low voice. “You’ve done so much for me. Forgiveness for what I’ve done and acting as my caretaker, all in one night. I can’t thank you enough, and I can’t express how much it all means to me. But please let me fight my own battles. Doing this is my choice, as has been everything else. Besides…” He startled Yunho when his hands found the leather belt and buckled it, without so much as a glance over the king’s shoulder. “It’s a proven fact that you still love me even after I make dumb decisions.” Changmin let go and went back to getting dressed, smiling at Yunho when they made eye contact.

Yunho stared wordlessly at Changmin’s profile as he shoved his arms into a shirt, his eyes zeroing in on the gauze under the wrappings before they disappeared beneath his tank top. _If you get hurt, I’ll never forgive myself._ There would be much to discuss after the confrontation—but Yi Xiang was right; they had priorities.

* * *

As a commander charged with ruling a densely populated realm, it came as no surprise to any of the Halloweentown citizens to see the Nightmare King strapped with arsenal rushing across the square. Now, the fact that he followed the original Boogeyman of the night was not as peculiar as the Winter Prince hot on the king’s heels, a large claymore sword across his back and running with a strange limp—as if his waist was injured. Seeing the short but fiery Doctor blowing a stream of curses in their wake, also armed, was an even more bizarre sight. They filed toward the cemetery, and the citizens stopped their evening activities to watch them pass.

Mal, a weaver with hands that could create a silky wonder but a mouth for gossip, motioned to her club friends and nodded after the bunch. “Where do you think they’re going?”

“No idea,” one of them rasped, untangling a pet recluse from her hair. “Maybe that infernal Boogeyman has finally been caught red-handed, and King Jack—I mean, _King Yunho_ has no choice but to banish him, much like his father threatened to do.”

“Really, Ursula. How do you continue to use the late king’s name? It’s been _centuries_!”

“If my ear cleanser were still here, Essie, my hearing would be better, but your godforsaken trumpet simply—”

“Oh, look!” Mal pointed across the street; a girl with stitched blue skin stood watching the foursome disappear behind the cemetery gates with a clanking sound. “Sally’s come down from on high. I wonder if the good doctor keeps her locked away like that wretched old man used to! Poor lamb…”

Ursula sniffed. “Perhaps it was for good reason. Take a gander at her clothes, lasses. Have ye ever seen such rags?”

Essie gawked at her. “We haven’t seen the girl in ages, and all you can comment on is her clothing? But I do wonder what she’s doing here. She looks so worried, wringing her hands like that. She’ll pull them clean off at this rate. Wish we could help. Hmm, I think maybe the king and those others are up to something. If Oogie Boogie’s involved, there’s no telling what all happened.”

“I heard he did something in London…yes, Ghoulihad wouldn’t shut up about it…and speaking of that awful man, you’ll never believe…” And the trio continued to jabber on, forgetting about why exactly they were even discussing the knight to begin with.

* * *

Boa scowled at Yunho as her obsidian bangles became a dark and sturdy whip in her hands. The king and prince conversed in low voices as Yi Xiang searched for the passage that led onto Moonlight Hill—as it moved every three hours to keep unwanted visitors away, even the Boogeyman had some trouble finding it. She watched as her king asked something of Changmin, and he just smiled in an exhausted way, shaking his head and replying. Though it looked like they were disagreeing on something, the atmosphere could not have been more relaxed.  _I told him to let the prince rest._

Within an hour of being away from His Majesty, much had transpired. Anyone who gazed upon the two for longer than a minute would see that. What was harder to decipher was Yi Xiang’s brooding expression. He did not shoot the couple covetous looks, and when she caught his eye, it was not filled with burning jealousy. Was he truly worried for the three miscreants? Or was it something else? He had faced his shadow—an odd thing to consider in itself—and come out in bad shape. Boa could not say that she had ever come across something like it in her studies, at least nothing out of a children’s book; she was sure she’d remember reading about someone losing their shadow. But was this expression on the Boogeyman…fear?

_How curious._

“Sire,” she called out, effectively ending the two rulers’ conversation and causing Yi Xiang to look up from tapping an old headstone. “There is a chance we will not be able to defeat this creature, or…how should I say…sew him back onto our Boogeyman here like some twisted version of Peter fucking Pan. What, then, do you propose we do?”

“I can’t say I like the idea of a retreat,” Yunho muttered after some thought, “but if it is our only option, then we’ll fall back and figure out something else.”

“That’s a decision you can and will not make for me, your Majesty,” Yi Xiang cut in. “I will not rest until that imposter is gone or behind me once again. He has invaded my manor house, taken my workers hostage, and assumed my identity in a possible attempt at framing me. I must confess that I am not at all pleased with it. He dared to lay a hand on my possessions and the children. If you ask me, this is a challenge to us all.”

To everyone’s surprise, Changmin agreed with him. “I have a theory about all this, mostly revolving around the fact that the shadow is sentient.” He glanced at Yi Xiang. “Yunho received a report about you mucking around in London regarding the Doomsday clock. I think that’s when your shadow separated from you, and had that fixation in his mind, or his…whatever. Take this however you want, but you’ve been almost _nice_ to us this entire time.”

“Oh!” Boa caught on quickly, and spoke up as Yi Xiang opened his mouth to make a comment. “His shadow took most, if not…okay, well no…he’s still a dick…”

“I beg your pardon, Doctor.”

“Sorry, big guy, but the prince has an excellent point. You’ve been civil at the very least, quite the opposite of your usual behavior. The shadow—and this is an educated guess, mind you—has taken on some of your more less charming qualities and magnified them exponentially. This shit with the Doomsday clock? You held an interest, but only an interest. You are an annoyingly inquisitive fucker, but even you have your limits, as outrageous as they may be. But your shadow doesn’t have a sense of what it should do and what should be left alone. At the moment of separation, it’s possible that it took this idea and ran with it in a bad way. Turned it into a plan versus a simple fascination.”

Yi Xiang cocked his head to the side. “You make it sound so innocent of me. As if I looked behind myself and said, ‘Whoops, forgot my shadow! I’ll pick it up on Tuesday.’”

“Aren’t you the one that drills your inability to lie into our heads?” Changmin said quietly, folding his arms. “You said you had no involvement in this, and that was true—because at the time, you didn’t think you had a hand in anything. If Yunho had asked about your plans with the Doomsday clock’s workings, you would have told him. Maybe in so many words, but you can’t lie. That’s what I’m getting at. This thing is aware that it has power, and it wants to use it to affect the world.”

“Jumping to conclusions, aren’t we?” Yunho asked, now frowning at the prince.

“A little,” he admitted sheepishly, earning a grin from two and an eye roll from the Boogeyman. “But I remember what it said: _tick tock_. A clock. Two minutes to midnight. Yes, we’re reaching a bit, but we have to because if we underestimate him, there’s no telling what troubles might arise. You can’t stand there and tell me he means no harm. He’s taken your minions, Yi Xiang, and made it clear that if we challenge him, we’re facing the fight of our lives.”

Yi Xiang appeared as if he were going to chime in with another quip, but then a creaking groan echoed in the area, and the headstone he had a boot on shuddered. As the Boogeyman backed away, it grew to a tall height, clearing even his head by half a foot. Rocks shifted until a large gap crumbled open; they wouldn’t have to stoop at all. Like looking out a window, the hole opened out onto the foot of the hill, the moon pregnant in the sky behind it. “Knew it was around here somewhere. The entrance has yet to move from this part of the cemetery, but I would feel like such a fool if it finally decided to relocate completely elsewhere.” Yi Xiang went through first, not a backwards glance at the other fighters behind him.

Changmin waved Boa through, but she stayed where she stood. “You first, boy. I want a word or two with my king.”

The moment the prince disappeared through the gateway, she rounded on Yunho. “I had counted on you to not listen to me, as you are prone to do.” He looked outraged and parted his lips in an attempt to defend himself—how could she know that? But she held up a hand. “Tell me I’m lying. The very second you two were alone, you jumped each other’s bones and made up for lost time.”

Yunho spluttered. “I…I cannot confirm that!”

“I will respect your privacy, sire. Just know that I was right in my prediction, and promise that I’ll receive your gratitude for it.”

He stared. “What on earth are you talking about?”

“Your Majesty, please.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she said, “Had you not done exactly what I knew you would, the prince would still be in considerable pain and back in your bed. Why do you think I took your blood, and not my own?” She waited patiently as he sorted through that, and laughed when his eyes grew wide and he stammered out some sort of excuse that fell on deaf ears. “I told you blood magic is powerful. It creates a bond between anyone who shares blood. If I had only taken a little of Changmin’s essence he would be tied to your very life force, and as you are a powerful and virile man, he may have become _stronger_.”

“Essence?” Somehow, the word sounded inappropriate and wrong, and Yunho could feel a tiny flush spread across his face.

“Blood…spit…anything that carries his DNA…though I think you solved that problem for us, didn’t you?” The stammering king reappeared, and she shook her head in amusement. “Leave it to a pair of fucking fools to accidentally create a strong bond because they can’t keep their hormones in check. All right, your Majesty. Time to pay the piper. Onward march!”

* * *

When Changmin saw how Boa’s eyes narrowed at Yunho, he hurried into the gap, stepping after Yi Xiang. It felt much like walking through a cool mist, though he remained dry. Moonlight Hill—here was another place he had missed. Not much of a sight, but its stillness and quiet were what drew him. Working in the Arctic proved quiet, but cold and lonely now and then. Christmastown also held very few sanctuaries in his mind; everything worked fast and loud, and his workers constantly had more things for him to check and more toys for approval…it was neverending chaos and noise.

“Reminiscing, princeling?” Yi Xiang mumbled around a black stick. “Don’t let me stop you.”

“What is that? Doesn’t look like a cigarette.”

“Ever the observant little snowpuff. No, this is something of my own creation.” Changmin watched as he lifted a finger and tapped the end; it smoldered to life, and he inhaled deeply before taking it out of his mouth and exhaling. Instead of the normal nicotine smoke and smell, the smoke smelled sweet and changed from grey to green. A reptilian shape took form and Yi Xiang whispered something to it. Its smoky snout emitted sparks as it spoke back, in that same sort of hissing language. With one nod to its creator, the smoke dragon soared towards the manor in the distance. “That would be my war horn. I want him to know we’re coming.” His eyes slid over to the prince and found an incredulous expression staring back at him. “You know, I do grow tired of the surprise looks you and the king send my way. For holiday leaders, you know very little of tactical warfare. There’s no use in organizing a sneak attack. He’ll know when we arrive anyway.”

“I can see why Yunho was attracted to you. Your theatrics nearly rival his own.”

That dry remark elicited a snicker from Yi Xiang. “Stunning that I didn’t detect a single note of sarcasm in that, sweet prince.”

In another time, that may have struck a nerve. True, just being in the presence of the Boogeyman made Changmin irritated, but since he’d reunited with Yunho, knowing that the two Halloweentown powers had been together didn’t hurt. “Sarcasm comes easily to me, so I try to challenge myself, you know?”

“And now you’re joking. Hell hath frozen over.” Yi Xiang cackled. “Perhaps our winter prince has invaded it.” He took another drag on the thin pipe, and this time blew out a terrifying, ghoulish face—one that covered many aspects of his manor, Changmin knew. “Think what you will about my time with the king, but you were never far from his thoughts. I must say it aggravated me to no ends, but I was not surprised. You have this annoying tendency to worm your way into other people’s affairs and stay in their heads.”

“That’s an… _affair_ I won’t ask details for, but…” Changmin squared his shoulders and held out his hand to Yi Xiang; the other man looked down on it like he stared at a foreign object. “Thanks for looking out for him while I was being an asshole.”

Yi Xiang continued to regard the outstretch hand with bemusement. “You’re _thanking_ me.”

“Yes.”

“For fucking the king because you weren’t there to do so.”

“You twist a perfectly civil thing into something it isn’t. Wording it that way is awful, but you’re an awful person, so I’ll overlook it. I’m thanking you for keeping him sane when I had my head up my butt. I know a lot of people, especially the other holiday rulers, look down on you. They think Yunho should just banish you and be rid of it. But he doesn’t. Whether I like it or not, he sees you as an ally, maybe even a frie—”

“Utter that word and I will sic every hellhound in the area on you,” Yi Xiang threatened darkly. He did not stretch out his own hand, but his face was devoid of the laughter from before. “Using this brief reprieve before we head to our dooms…to wave a white flag? I hate to admit it, but you are indeed a good ruler. Watch out, prince. One day you may have my respect, and on that day I would be worried if I were you.”

The conversation ended there, abruptly but not quite over. Yi Xiang continued to stare at the horizon, waiting for…something. _Maybe that dragon thing does more than just announces us._ Changmin took the opportunity to check on his bandages; when he ran a cautious finger over the area, he felt no pain, not even a little ripple. I guess the salve worked pretty well. Need to thank the doctor for that.

Yunho and Boa appeared after only a couple of minutes—for some reason, she looked strangely smug and Yunho could not meet Changmin’s eyes. “Got things settled,” she chirped happily. “Now let’s go beat that fucking shadow to a bloody pulp!” She snapped her whip in the air, and even Yi Xiang took a step back. “Dear Boogeyman, if you have no objections…should the Bandersnatch try to interfere, might I have its remains to study? Assuming it is intact once we dispose of it, of course. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to have such a specimen in my lab.”

He was at a loss for words, so a tentative “Certainly,” came out.

Changmin drew his sword, and tested its weight in his hand. He decided that holding it in one hand was okay, as long as he remembered to favor the bitten part of his waist. This earned a small concerned look from Yunho, and he hoped his own expression put the king at ease. Stop worrying about me, or you’re the next to get hurt. “I’m ready.”

Yi Xiang only crossed his arms and nodded; he had no need for weapons, as his powers lay in his magical knowledge. “Seconded.”

One finger touched the hilt of the dagger strapped to his thigh, and Yunho also inclined his head, choosing to remain silent.

“Glad you boys came prepared. Hate to have to claim all the glory for myself,” Boa said, dimples appearing in her lovely face as she grinned. The last of her sentence had barely left her lips when the dragon returned, now glowing a deep red. It hissed at its master in that same ancient language before curling up and dissipating into thin air. Boa’s mouth became a grim line. “Ah, so…”

“He sends salutations and hopes we will not be late to the party,” is all that Yi Xiang said before he strolled to the peak of Moonlight Hill, snapped his fingers, and allowed the curling landmass to deposit him at the edge of the ravine, the others not far behind him.

* * *

As if the place itself knew it was housing an impostor, the manor reflected a ghostly eeriness. Usually its many parts seemed alive, but now they stood still, not even the trees swaying in the wind. Shadows curled out of the smallest cracks in the wood, with much more pouring out of the windows. The two gargoyles at the entrance had been knocked off their bases and shattered into many pieces. They let out a feeble croak as the party passed; Yi Xiang’s jaw tightened and Yunho wondered if the house had not been in this state earlier. As the house’s master and the tiny doctor led the way, Changmin found Yunho’s wrist and pressed down once—letting him know he was fine. “Take the read guard,” Yunho murmured, sliding the dagger from its sheath. “And don’t give me that look. I have a feeling we’re all going to see a bit of action with this.”

“Just a bit, huh?”

“An entertaining amount, anyway.”

“Jump on,” Yi Xiang called, launching over the low iron gate into the rickety lift that would take them straight to the main receiving chamber—he could feel an immense amount of power radiating from the top of the structure. Yunho laughed to himself as Boa vehemently refused his helping hand and swung one leg over, followed by the other. However, Changmin let the king ease him into the lift, making it claustrophobically tight. They rode in silence, and stepped onto the landing once it came to a creaking halt. There stood the twin blessed iron doors, unchanged.

To no one’s surprise, they opened slowly, and more shadows seeped out—some took form, and haunting figures surrounded them as they walked forward, Yunho clutching his dagger a little tighter. Changmin cautiously touched the edge of a shadow figure with his sword, but it did not recoil. _Great. This baby’s supposed to be deadly to most adversaries. If my sword can’t hack it…_

A deep, echoing laugh greeted them then. “You…are here…at last…”

“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” Yunho responded in a formal tone, and Changmin half-expected a sarcastic bow from him, too. “Why don’t you come out from the…ah…”

“Shadows?” he offered in a waspish voice, and slowly, a form appeared in the dim light from the candelabra. It was Yi Xiang, but it was not. There were notable differences—the great peeling gash that ran from the right corner of his mouth to his ear, resulting in a nightmarish grin; the fact that his eyes were black and without pupils; the cuts and scrapes along his body where more shadows coiled out like smoke; and the twitching, limping gait as he walked towards them. _Yi Xiang would also rather be struck down than caught dead in such rags._ In the corner was a great obsidian cage, and the three devil children huddled against the bars, crying and calling for their master. The imposter spoke again. “I am…shadow and fear…and you are…doomed…”

“Looks like you’re breaking down, buddy.” Changmin hoped his tone was light, but something about this…thing in front of them unnerved him to the core. “I don’t think shadows were meant to hold a form for very long. Say, why don’t we just say a little incantation and get you back to Yi Xiang…?”

The impostor twitched violently, his head lolling forward, but those black bottomless eyes still regarded them. “Futile…it has…already begun…” A second body jolt and his spine straightened with a sickening crack. “These humans come up with the cleverest ideas,” he said, in the smooth velvet accent of Pitch Black’s, a shudder running through the party at the perfect imitation. “Too bad this is only used for political situations. Imagine if a catastrophe in the form of an epidemic were unleashed…do you think they would adapt the clock to those conditions?” He let out a wet cough and his voice changed, to one they knew all too well: the Boogeyman’s. “What an interesting concept! But you know…we can’t predict these things so accurately if we don’t bother experimenting…”

“Yi Xiang…” Boa whispered out of the corner of her mouth. But he could not speak; his eyes were fixed on the impostor.

“Sitting in the comfort of our own homes is always so _dull_ ,” Pitch Black’s voice answered, a gentle lilt to it now. “But the widespread panic that would follow such an outbreak…it would be delightful, wouldn’t you say so?” Another cough, and Yi Xiang’s tone reappeared. “Yes…I must agree with that. What could we do that they have never seen before, but would be met with fear?”

Boa half-turned to the Boogeyman, her gaze intense. “What did you do?”

The imposter jerked forward, and Yunho tensed; he heard movement behind him and knew Changmin had taken a stance, as well. The harsh voice returned, and he grinned—the gaping cut in his face made it more pronounced. “Oogie…Boogie…set us…set us _free_ …”

“YI XIANG!” Boa yelled, startling the three men. Yi Xiang stared at her helplessly, and Yunho fought the sudden urge to chastise her tone. “What did you do?! It’s talking about something that you and Pitch spread!” Yunho recalled the report from hours ago—something in London…“That is a detail you failed to mention to us. What. Did. You. Do?!”

“ _And darkness shall rule all!_ ” The impostor tilted his head back and cackled shrilly.

“…your Majesty…” For the first time in his life, Yi Xiang was pleading. Yunho’s hand gripped his dagger tighter as Yi Xiang addressed him, though still staring at his impostor. “You must understand…what I did was within our control at the time. I had no idea of its actual consequences. Even Pitch must have not known what it had done.” He swallowed. “The report was falsified by Lock, Shock, and Barrel…I couldn’t fake it. There was an epidemic outbreak…but that’s not all. We omitted…” His eyes flickered to the impostor, who was now swaying and twitching, giggling to himself; Changmin stared in disgust, hand tensely clutching his sword. “I asked them to omit…I lost control…”

Changmin let out a quiet snarl as the doors opened again and the dark figures crept in silently, filing behind them in a neat line. “Yi Xiang,” Yunho said gently. He thought he knew, but he had to hear it from him. “Tell me.”

“I sent it across England…” Yi Xiang’s eyes closed. “And in doing so, my powers spun out of control. The epidemic grew at an alarming rate, and it must have split my core in half. What I failed to tell you was that I lost control…I was ashamed. I never lose control, so for me to have done so…the power I tapped into was dangerous, and it would have alarmed you. But it only means one thing: these shadows came from me. I unleashed them. I can’t think of anywhere else. Pitch isn’t capable of doing that, but…I am.” Yunho was more than startled to see wetness pool in those beautiful, sorrowful eyes, and Yi Xiang attempted a weak smile. “It was me all along. I have broken your trust, your Majesty. Now…I must pay.”

And the king could only watch as a dark tendril shot out from the impostor’s raised hand and wrapped completely around the Boogeyman, swallowing his last apologetic look.


	4. Dénouement

Bellowing like a bull, Changmin finally surged forward, meeting the writhing wraiths as they danced and snaked around him. Soon Changmin found himself being forced back out onto the bridge, the others locked in battles of their own. _Where’s the impostor? Where’s Yi Xiang?_ But he could not think for long; more and more soldiers poured out of the doors, engulfing them quickly. Most of the shadow soldiers were quiet in their attack, but there were hisses and crackles. And they were strong; two snakelike ones managed to wrap tightly around one of his legs and brought him down, yelling. “Damn it!” he said in frustration, wildly swinging his blade. To his amazement, it met something and made a loud clang. _An armored shadow? I’ve seen it all—oh hell!_ He rolled on the stone floor just in time to avoid a dark giant shape swinging what looked like a sledgehammer.

As small as she was, Boa found it difficult to dodge every outstretched arm and tentacle and whatever the shadows were growing out of their incorporeal forms. Made solid just long enough to deal damage, they tried to pull at her, pin her to the ground. But she was not just a doctor; her father had been a paranoid one and let her train with the king’s guard growing up. And her whip! A creation of her brilliance, it contained trace amounts of magic that countered the composition of what she attacked. If she snapped it against a tree, fire would spring in a thin line, only to burn wickedly with the power imbued inside the whip. If it dipped into water, the metal would become electrified. But this was not a foreseen foe; the reactive metal could not quite figure out what it was attacking. It coiled and struck fast, but as they were shadow, and she could not reproduce holy magic—as much as she wanted it to be false, the whip seemed useless.

The Nightmare King…he knew this dance. He knew it very well. And had there been an audience to watch him with bated breath, they would not be disappointed.

He spun in a wide circle, letting the weight of the dagger hit in his hand guide his blade. A triumphant yell escaped him when one semi-corporal figure went to the ground, making the same loud noise as the shadow Changmin had hit. He wasted no time in pivoting to the side and dodging one jab from another shadow, bending his arm down to stab something behind him. A third and fourth shadow flanked him, and this forced him to duck back, almost losing his footing. “Is this all you have for us?” he shouted up at the manor, a devilish smile forming on his face. “Some gross putty patrol soldiers armed with tool shed items? Come on! Give us a fight for our lives!”

“Must you always goad your enemies like this?” Boa seethed as she did a complicated little maneuver, and her whip coiled around the arm of a shadow; she pulled hard, and the limb separated from the figure, but no blood spilled out. “Oh, good! Less of a mess! Not such fuck trucks, are you?!”

Changmin’s long leg met the chest of an armored shadow and it crashed into others behind it. The domino effect paid off; some figures went toppling off the battlements of the manor and into the ravine below. He looked at the two Halloweentown residents in exasperation. “Are you two even real?!”

“WELL, SHE’S BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF THINGS WITH HER DARK FAIRY…PRINCESS CHAIN THING, AND I’M CURRENTLY SWINGING THIS DAGGER AT EVERYTHING, AREN’T I?!”

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I—oh fuck it.” His next dodge threw him off balance and he had to roll on the stone pavement, losing feeling in some fingers when they were trampled on by some of the soldiers.

“Aha! The prince doth curse too much methinks!” Boa’s hair flew around her as she brought her whip down in a spiral, its sharpness cutting through half the enemies she faced. “You see, your Majesty? I _told_ you putting magic into weapons is the smart thing to do, but _no_ , you just _have_ to be a manly man’s manly man and insist good ol’ arm strength is the fucking way to go—”

“Boa,” Yunho warned as his hand dove into his pocket and withdrew a vial of violet liquid. He aimed it at the nearest enemy and threw it; the glass spun gracefully through the air until it shattered against the shadow figure. Strange purple lightning sprung out and hit several other figures square in the chest, evaporating them on the spot.

“I mean, why listen to the doctor that has saved your life again and again, and hasn’t asked for a fucking dime in return?!”

“BOA…”

“It’s not like I’m ever _right about everything_!”

Something caught Changmin’s attention; he decapitated his only enemy (they had learned to fear the wide arc of his claymore) and made his way toward Boa, who was surrounded by so many soldiers, despite the fact that she was cutting them down into bits. But his gaze kept getting drawn back to Yunho. There was something weird about how the figures had him cornered. Why?

The king yanked his dagger out of the chest of the shadow he’d felled and threw her a withering look. “Listen here, you cute but annoying she-dwarf. You’ll eat those words one day when something dark and scaly and slimy and impervious to magic, like a dragon, comes wandering into your midst, and your only good sword can’t penetrate its hide because guess what? It has reactive magic in it and thinks you’re smacking it against a car door—”

“YUNHO!” the Winter Prince roared suddenly, elbowing his opponent out of the way. He finally realized why the formation around Yunho seemed strange. He called out again in a screaming desperation, but it was much too late. A small, swift shadow foot soldier ducked around its comrades and thrust a great knife forward. The sharp end burst out of Yunho’s chest absolutely soaked in blood, right where his heart would be.

The action stopped. Time froze. Changmin’s heart pounded hard. He could not take in anything but the fact that his feet were going forward, feeling heavier by the step. Yunho stared down in confusion at the gleaming metal sticking out of his chest. His fingers touched it, and a great tremble shook his body. He began to step backward, and Boa screamed at him to stop where he was. _No no no no no no no. Get to him._ _Get to him now. Now!_ Changmin cut down enemy after enemy, letting out uncontained snarls and swears, becoming more agitated as the seconds passed. Before he knew it, the Nightmare King—the bravest and strongest of them all—tumbled out of sight over the stone wall.

In a bellowing rage, Changmin flung two shadows back, and they fell out of sight, too. He crashed into the wall, peering helplessly over the edge. Would he see a broken body, spread-eagle so many meters below on the ground? Would there be blood? Or worse? _No, no. Yunho can’t die. We just…he can’t die. He can’t. He’s immortal. He’s fine. He’s okay._

The bottom of the ravine floor was so far beneath the bridge, he could not make anything out. Boa called out to him, but her voice sounded like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel. Where was Yunho? He had to know. Could these shadows do damage to them? That was a far fall, even for a Holiday leader…

 _I would know. I would know if he had passed on._ Total terror clenched his heart; was that true? His love for the king was so deep, but did that ancient superstition about knowing when a loved one is lost hold any truth? Even then, his mind still spun on battle mode. One down, two left. He and Boa versus that many enemies—they would fight to the bitter end. They had to. Slowly, he transferred his claymore to his other hand, and then shifted his grip so that it was clutched tight.

“It’s over,” he announced quietly, and even in the loud din of Boa’s whip hitting armored enemies, some turned to look at him. They started to approach fast, raising their weapons, but he stood his ground. “I will not let his fall be in vain.” For at that moment, a pang he could not describe went through him. He knew what it was. The suspicion was true. Now he had someone to avenge. “Do you hear me, you fucking piece of shit? You will not get away with all that you have done. To Yi Xiang—” The first shadow met him, and his claymore struck out, bisecting him right down the middle of its head. “And to Lock, Shock, and Barrel—” Three more swarmed him but they were taken care of instantly. “And to my king.”

The bricks of the manor rumbled in what was surely laughter from the shadow impostor. _This realm is mine_ , said a deep voice that came from nowhere and everywhere. _And there is nothing you two fools can do to refute my claim. The world will be covered with nightmares and horrors it has never seen before. This has been most fun, princeling. The clock ticked and ticked, and finally the curtain falls and midnight is here. Goodbye._

A prickle of awareness was on the back of Changmin’s neck. He craned his head around—and the sight that greeted him robbed him of his breath.

In neat rows, dozens upon dozens of Halloweentown streamed down the hill across the bridge, brandishing their own makeshift and actual weapons. There were hags and witches; werewolves and hellhounds; and even a tall ogre wobbling in the middle of them all. The entirety of the Headless Hunt rode gallantly on the front lines, their group’s red and black flag waving proudly. What appeared to be all of the king’s infantry were hot on their trail, yelling at the shadows that did a simultaneous about-face to this new opposition. Changmin could hear the citizens shouting, jeering, and making a wonderful cacophony. Their cries created a powerful glowing strength inside him, enough to propel him forward again, as the words rang loud and clear: “FOR HIS MAJESTY! LONG LIVE THE KING!”

* * *

He had not realized how dependent he would be on the soldiers. The more that were killed, the quicker his energy was sapped from him.

It will not end this way—he had worked too hard to become corporal for it to be a disaster.

The three children were no longer huddling together in the corner, frightened and whimpering for their master. They had begun to race at the bars, kicking and shoving the metal until finally it looked dented and bent in some areas. The roundest one started to yank while the other two aimed more kicks. Soon, they would be out of the cage, and one of his only bartering coins gone. But no matter…he still had the Boogeyman as a last resort…

And as he thought it, a smile crept onto his twisted face. Yes, he did have that one thing left, and the Nightmare King’s loyalty to his friends would prompt a rescue. That is, if he had survived that most fatal stabbing by his lieutenant followed by the fall. Darkness did many things to good souls, and the king’s soul shone pure. No matter the outcome, he would bare a tainted mark on him for the rest of his days. One day, it might even…overwhelm him. He let out a giddy laugh; oh, what he would pay to see this beloved king wreak havoc on his own people!

**_Yunho would rather die than betray his people._ **

“Quiet, you!” he hissed, and the prisoners looked over, startled.

**_You severely underestimate my king. The love he holds for his people cannot be cut down by any foe or beast. You can’t win. You will fade away, and the realm will be as it once was._ **

“And pray tell how exactly he would manage this with a darkened soul,” he said in Pitch Black’s voice, his own too weak to continue using.

 ** _Darkness is strong. But there is deeper and greater magic at work here, the likes of which you can’t fathom because you are only darkness._** Yi Xiang’s voice trailed off, and the impostor thought it was gone forever, but no. It came back a minute later, even stronger than before. **_Why do you think we creatures slowly dwindle away into nothing? The world changes so rapidly…it is hard to keep up. Humans rule the lands now. And they are not as pure as freshly fallen snow. They hold darkness inside each of them, something that can spring out at any moment._**

“No,” he moaned, covering his ears. Surely that would work. Anything to silence him—

**_They love, they hate, but they live. They let one side balance out the other, and those that cannot balance bear the consequences. Humans have learned to keep their goodness with their worse traits, and they have evolved into something so great, the rulers and the powerful ones of the realms have followed suit and taken their form. You cannot win, shadow, because you cannot adapt. You will always be the shadow behind us as we walk our streets, the creeping enemy that is only a trifle thing. You are_ ** **nothing _._**

“I am _everything_!” he roared, tearing at himself maniacally, taking some skin as he clawed away. The children in the cage gasped. His eyes went to them, and his mind spun. He could take them in, too…he could use their life energy to regain his strength and best these insects…

 ** _If you dare touch them, you will feel a wrath unlike any ever seen before._** The voice was much too loud. **_I am night itself. I am feared and respected across the world. I am the original Boogeyman, and I will go nowhere!_**

His nails clutched at the throat that was tearing as wide as the original gash on his face. He was not falling apart, no…he just…needed a new form…the children…surely…

**_HARM THEM AND I WILL SPEND MY EXISTENCE HUNTING YOU FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE UNIVERSE. I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL I HAVE DESTROYED EACH AND EVERY PIECE OF YOUR FILTHY KIND, AND THEN I SHALL MAKE YOU SUFFER A WORSE FATE THAN WHAT YOU INFLICTED ON THEM. I AM MORE THAN SHADOW, MORE THAN THINGS THAT CREEP AFTER DARK. I AM GAO YI XIANG, THE STRONGEST KNIGHT OF THE KING OF NIGHTMARES, AND I WILL HAUNT YOU UNTIL THE DAY YOU DIE._ **

A new hole tore open in his chest, and black ooze began to seep out. Foam bubbled and frothed from his mouth. He looked positively mad. “SILENCE! I will not fall! Your king shall die! His realm will be mine, and there is no man on this plane of existence who can stop me!”

The last word had barely rang from his mouth when the cold blade of a claymore found the back of his neck, and his eyes saw his body fall back onto the stone floor. No, he…his head wasn’t even attached to—

Lock, Shock, and Barrel screamed shrilly, a few mild swears coming out of them. Changmin panted heavily as he stood over the decapitated body of the impostor boogeyman. “Technically speaking, I’m not from this plane of existence,” he murmured in a low voice. “So there goes that plan, wouldn’t you say?” He let the sword drop to the floor with a clatter and ran to the cage.

“Prince!” Shock said, trembling with relief. “Oh, for once it is so good to see you!” Her eyes fell on the dead impostor behind him. “Is that it? Is it over?”

Changmin pulled on the door of the cage, scowling when it wouldn’t budge. “No, I don’t think so. His corporal form is gone, but he was powerful. I think we may see him again.”

“Are you serious?!” Barrel exclaimed while Lock and Shock cried out their worry.

“Forget about it, you lot. I need to get you out.” They pointed to a weakened spot in the bars, and Changmin’s fist closed around it. He focused on the iron, and how coarse it felt in his hand. _Freeze. Freeze this metal and let me help them._ Power he thought lost surged through him. Very quickly, ice crackled along the bar; he waited until it covered about a foot of the iron before he yanked hard. It came off loudly, but now there was enough space for them to squeeze out one by one. “Good…that takes care of that…and…” He gave a laugh and collapsed to the floor; the children screeched and scrambled forward. Barrel stayed with him while the other two ran for help. He called out to the prince, but received no response.

* * *

All around him was dark. It was eternal. It was absolute. The pitch blackness was the horizon, the ground, and the sky. He felt nothing now. The dark wrapped around him like a blanket swaddled by a loving mother; it brought him comfort and safety, and he knew peace would follow.  _Sleep…I should sleep…_

Yunho curled his arms around his knees tighter and felt nothing but cool air across his back. This would be his eternity forevermore. And that was okay. The others would win the battle and honor his memory. Yi Xiang could take over Halloweentown and give the people his all; he was a great person, and Yunho knew that a good man hid inside him.

_“Stay here forever? Are you crazy?”_

“No,” he groaned, shutting his eyes and ducking his head into the cradle of his arms. “Leave me alone.”

_“I’d rather not. Imagine what kind of trouble you’d get into without me by your side.”_

“Stop…I’ll be fine here…it’s safe. There’s no one around…but you can’t be here…”

_All right, let me put it this way. Imagine the trouble I’d get into without you by my side. Do you want that for me?”_

“Hurts so much…”

 _“That’s life, Yunho. We chose human form long ago, knowing that they feel pain and suffering, and we undertook those risks because we wanted to.”_ The image was blurry and flickering, but suddenly Changmin stood before him, towering tall and glaring down at him. “ _Didn’t you once boast that you were stronger than me, that you could easily outlive me? Prove it. Come back and prove just how strong you are. Don’t let the darkness take you where I can’t follow.”_

“Stay away from me, then. Let him rule…I failed the citizens…I don’t deserve to be king.”

 _“Neither of us deserves the thrones we inherited, Yunho!”_ Changmin stooped down and roughly shook his shoulders. “ _But we have them, and we can’t turn our backs on that. We both took oaths that we would give our lives for our kingdoms and our people. If we had to fade away, we would do so with honor in our last breaths. This isn’t honor, Yunho. This is forfeit. Surrendering is the least honorable thing a king can do. This is what the imposter wanted. He wanted to make you feel doubt, right as he killed you. I am not going to let that stand be your last.”_

A second figure appeared in a mist. Yi Xiang wore that damned wicked smirk of his. It was the one Yunho loved most, a smile filled with secrets and knowledge that spelled trouble. He said nothing, but he extended a hand to Yunho—and waited.

Changmin exhaled slowly. “ _Come back to me_ ,” he whispered. His fingers dug into Yunho’s shoulders. “ _Please don’t succumb to the darkness._ _Let us help you.”_

Yunho covered one of Changmin’s hands and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you,” he said simply, pouring all the love and gratitude he felt for his prince into those two words.

 _“While this is quite a touching moment, we have several lifetimes to enjoy it out of danger. I suggest we hurry.”_ Yi Xiang nodded, hand still outstretched to his king. _“Hang on tight. Don’t want to lose you on the way back. This is my second time here, and I really don’t feel like coming back a third.”_

“I’m surprised you’re even here,” Yunho wondered aloud as they both lifted him to his feet. He could sense the shadows trying to smother them, but it wouldn’t work. Not this time. “Thought you would try to leave me here and make a bid for king.”

 _“Thirty seconds into an attempted rescue, and you cut me with your words already, your Majesty.”_ Yi Xiang’s free hand flew to his chest, and he wore a mock frown. _“But I? I, Gao Yi Xiang, steal the throne right after your truly tragic departure? That would be inconsiderate of me! I would wait at least a week out of respect. Your manor is hard to resist. Too bad it has to be this way, though.”_ Before Changmin or Yunho could stop him, he leaned forward and opened his mouth against Yunho’s neck, lips lingering for a moment before Changmin cleared his throat. He stepped back, throwing the Winter Prince a swarthy look. _“Use your magical candy cane or whatever and get us home, McFlurry. I haven’t got all day.”_

* * *

The three woke up in darkness again, but this darkness was not absolute. In fact, a faint purple washed over the horizon. Dawn fast approached.

Boa stood over them, wearing the most furious expression any of them had ever seen on her. “For the fucking love of all fucking fuck,” she hissed, and one of her hands seized Yunho’s arm. He yelped most unlike a noble as she dragged him upward. Every other word she spat at him was accompanied by a great shake of his frame. “Naturally you all had to die on me when what I needed was an audience to witness my win against these fucking shadow shits! And _you_ just had to be Mr. Can’t Fucking See an Ambush When It’s Right in Front of Him and go all spread-eagle on us while we’re fighting for our lives! Jung Yunho, you are the most selfish, the most arrogant, the most _annoying_ fucker I have ever had the misfortune to call my king!”

He waited until she went back to breathing angrily before chancing a tiny smile. “I appreciate all that you do, darling Boa. It is upsetting that we missed what sounds like a great show.”

“Pft. ‘We.’ I hope you fall into a fucking well and get eaten by invisible well piranhas.” She shoved him back, still muttering under her breath. “And you two,” she rounded on Changmin and Yi Xiang; the former jumped into the air and the latter went rigid. “One swallowed by a fucking _house_ and the other drained because he _used his own powers_! You are truly pathetic.” She huffed and hoisted her whip over her shoulder, scowling. “Expect a bill from me for saving all of you. And your ass better name me general or something after this. I’m just saying.”

Yunho gave her a slight bow of respect, wincing as he did. “Of course, milady. I look forward to all the paperwork that accompanies a knighting.”

“Knighting! Bah!” Boa tossed her long hair aside, still visibly agitated. A pang ran through the king when he saw her wounds, especially the slash that ran from her ear to her neck. They would all need first aid sooner rather than later. “I’ll be the first knight to get away with lacing your evening tea with something sinister. Should turn you into a frog, and make you spread eagle over a vat of boiling water. Don’t fuck with me, any of you. I know where you live and I have so many connections, it’s not even funny. Back to that bill—”

“Doctor!”

Only one voice could melt the frighteningly tiny woman into soft butter. She whirled around, searching among the many fighters until she found her. A tall, willowy girl with the prettiest straight brown hair, clad in a dress so much better than the rags the old doctor used to make her wear. In her hands she held her own foot, which must have come off in the battle. “My Sally,” Boa breathed and disappeared into the crowd, reappearing at Sally’s side. They embraced, Sally gently stroking the doctor’s hair and whispering something to her.

The king helped the Winter Prince stand up shakily. Changmin’s eyes tightened as he took in the contusions and scrapes. There was a gash that still ran blood on the top of his forehead, and he held his arm tenderly. _And what else did the fall do that we can’t see?_ “You okay?” he asked, realizing it was a stupid question but needing it answered.

“I am now that I’m home.” Yunho put a hand to his bleeding wound and groaned when it came back wet. “For an immortal beings, I sure do bleed a lot. I imagine when my power comes back full-strength, I’ll be good but…I feel like such a human.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Changmin laughed.

“Still, this is odd and I’ll be happy when everything’s back to normal—or well, as normal as can be.” When he saw Boa and Sally speaking with their heads together, he made a noise of comprehension. “I’m guessing we have Sally to thank for my armies arriving?”

Yi Xiang nodded. “Boa told me when I first escaped the realm of darkness. The doll girl discovered what we were up to and sent for reinforcements. Apparently, everyone in town heard about it and decided to join in. Can’t say they aren’t loyal to their ruler. But let’s be honest with ourselves: we are much too pretty to cease existing. Destiny had to intervene for these faces.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Yunho stared at Changmin for a moment, surveying the damage done. He didn’t look half as bad as the Boogeyman, but he still bore signs of bruises beneath his clothes. Deciding he would worry about that later, he addressed them both. “She has a point, you know. Boa. Without her, we might not all be standing here.”

“You figured it out too, your Majesty?” Yi Xiang grinned.

Changmin frowned at them, more than a little lost. “Wait, does this have to do with her congratulating me earlier in the graveyard? Don’t ask,” he added when Yunho raised an eyebrow at him. “She mentioned something about being tied with you.”

“Energy and essence are strong elements in life,” Yi Xiang explained. “And the one thing we three have in common is…each other. Some people consider being physical a meaningless thing, but in this case, it helped our very lives. I told you that blood seals a deal better than any stupid handshake. It worked its magic and tied you to me. Your…romp in the sheets with Marshmallow over here secured the bond with him, albeit in a different way. Although in my opinion, the bond between _us_ is incomplete,” he said grudgingly, but with a wistful gaze at the prince. “If only, if only. I am such a good lover, you know. The king can attest to that.” He ignored Changmin’s sputtering and Yunho’s responding protests, and turned to an approaching skeleton warrior as they bickered. “Wouldn’t you agree that an affair with the Winter Prince is a great fantasy? I would have him bent over my bed so fast, begging for my touch, and he would enjoy every second of it.”

The skeleton leaned sideways, determined to not come between what promised to be a trap. “Sire.”

Yunho stopped reassuring Changmin (who now folded his arms across his chest, a mixture of irritation and actual curiosity on his face) and turned to his subject. “Yes?”

“We have vanquished the very last of the soldiers, and any who escaped will be henceforth banished once the good doctor can come up with an enchantment to keep them out.” It bowed, the old bones clinking against each other. “The townsfolk wish to hold a celebration in the square for this victory and they desire their king to revel among them.” With that, the king was drawn back into duties, though he did manage a small smile towards both of the men before turning away.

Yi Xiang laughed quietly. “Victory? Despite knowing he’ll try to come back?”

“I hate saying it, but next time we’ll be better prepared. Maybe he’ll stay locked up in the darkness.”

“That’s a mighty big reach, princeling. Ah.” He stood straighter. “Right. The, uh…doomsday thing. Someone should check on that—oh! Suddenly, my schedule is free for the next few days. Why, I would be utterly delighted to take a holiday and check on it!” He started to walk away, but Changmin pulled him back. “Watch the goods,” he purred, though he looked confused. “The battle’s done, and you came out as the shining victor. Don’t force the loser to stay.”

“Beg your pardon, but I’m pulling rank right now, so listen up.” Changmin steeled himself, sensing that the words would feel like acid in his mouth, but he had to say them. “It’s years too late, but…I’ll never be able to thank you for staying by him when I didn’t. I don’t care that you two were intimate and shared things he might never share with me. You didn’t have a broken king. You had a different side of him, a side I’ll never see for myself. And I swear I’m not going to try to erase that, okay?”

Yi Xiang studied him, a tic appearing and disappearing from his jaw. “You are a very strange prince, Changmin,” he said at last. “I regret that our story is over before it ever began.” And without warning, the Boogeyman finally got his swift kiss from the Winter Prince and nicked his bottom lip with an incisor, immediately drawing blood—and Changmin’s instincts told him to kiss and bite back. The second he realized how much of a mistake that was, he pushed at Yi Xiang until the man backed off, cackling. “Done deal! Lovely doing business with you, really. Consider it all sealed up with that proverbial red silk bow.”

“I—you—WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!”

“You swore,” Yi Xiang trilled to him, attracting the attention of nearly everyone around them. “I have your word that you will not hurt my king by changing his past or sweeping things under the rug. Now I will give you a promise in return.” In one of the most surprising turn of events that ever graced the realms, Gao Yi Xiang sank to a knee and bowed to the shocked prince. In a ringing voice, he stated, “Henceforth, I serve not one…but _two_ kings. You will always have my loyalty, even when you wish to shoo me into the deepest, darkest depths of the oceans. I vow to aggravate and annoy you for life, and protect all that is yours. This is the Boogeyman’s declaration, and may all present serve as witness.” He lifted his head, grinning. “Now where’s your pointy royal stick?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Someone clapped a hand on Changmin’s shoulder. He wanted to wipe the stupid little smile off Yunho’s face as the Nightmare King stepped around him, rapier in hand. “Just coat this with frost, and it’ll do as a noble sword of your realm. You have my apologies for the near and distant future, though. If you couldn’t stand him before, you’ll hate him when he actually begins to like you.”

“Will someone please explain just what—?!”

“Knight me.” Yi Xiang did not rise from his knee, but he lifted his head to flash a wink at the stammering prince. “I’ll be damned if Boa steals all the thunder with her new title.”

“YOU FUCKING PRICK,” echoed her voice from across the ravine, and neither the prince nor his new knight could help but laugh.

The thin sword touched both of Yi Xiang’s shoulders, bloody and battered as they were. Changmin held his breath for one second, praying with all his heart that he wasn’t making a second mistake tonight. “Rise, Gao Yi Xiang. From this day forward, you shall serve the Winter Prince and all in his dominion. Or just me,” he added uncertainly when Yi Xiang arched one elegant eyebrow. “I would not force you to protect my people, but you know…it’d be nice.”

Yi Xiang straightened his long legs, gazing at the prince in admiration. “Much obliged, Highness, but I’ll look into that matter if I ever feel like it.” He clapped and rubbed his hands together, and immediately the two rulers took a step forward, wary. “The game has been fun, my lieges. I did enjoy this most mesmerizing and exhilarating hunt. But now it is time for me to throw myself back into business. First off, take care of that clock.” He snapped his fingers; another smoke dragon appeared, this one a deep blue. It snaked around him, hiding him from view in seconds.

“Change it _back_ , Yi Xiang!” Yunho yelled sternly, but the Boogeyman left the realm with his trademark echoing laugh. Sighing, the king shared an exasperated look with his prince boyfriend. “Day one of ten thousand more with him as your knight. Make sure you know what you are doing, Shim, and learn to deal with all that comes in that terribly attractive package. First day into his service with me, and I ended up in a small Icelandic village, having to modify the memories of the poor, oblivious townsfolk.”

Changmin’s mouth dropped open. “Dare I ask why?”

“Well,” Yunho frowned, entwining his fingers with the prince’s and beginning to walk towards Boa and Sally, “it’s a funny story that involves a very confused priest and a couple of pigeons…”

* * *

 

**_DECEMBER 24TH_ **

~

Large grey eyes set wide into a furry white face, a single dark spot encircling one. Its pink nose kept pushing against his ankle, sniffing and snuffling. Not one tooth shone back at him as it opened its tiny muzzle and let out what had to be the most adorable yawn ever in existence.

Yunho jerked his head up quickly, frowning. “But…but what does it do?”

Changmin stared at him disbelievingly. “It’s a puppy. It does what puppies do. And by the way, _he_ does what puppies do.”

“Ah, a brave little he-warrior! I can’t wait to teach him how to hunt for piskies and goblins!”

“Erm…wait…”

Gingerly lifting him by the little black color, Yunho set the puppy in his lap, engrossed in his tiny movements. He swatted at the sleeve of Yunho’s shirt, tried to bite it, and then gave up. He yipped once, curled up on Yunho’s thigh, and gazed up at Changmin with his little tail thumping away. “I have hellhounds and graveyard dogs. This is a more domestic breed, yes?”

“Uh…yes. Jack Russell terrior, to be more exact. But…please don’t let him play with the other dogs here. That wouldn’t be the wisest decision.”

“I’m not a wise king. Besides, if he bites them, they might ice over and he’ll use them as territorial markers.”

Changmin blinked several times. “The world continues to spin, and I continue to get lost in some of the things you say.”

Yunho poked the puppy in the side, and it grumbled at him before going back to staring down the prince who brought him over. “Well, one thing’s for sure. He’s quite like you when I try to wake you up in the mornings. I like his color, though. White as a bone, but soft like snow.” Stroking his new friend’s head, he shot a glance at the steel hands ticking away on his parlor wall. “Almost eight. You should leave, lest the king of Halloweentown be responsible for ruining Christmas. Again,” he amended with a roll of his eyes when Changmin snorted. “Look, last time was…it was…”

“An exploration of your varying degrees of interest in the workings of the other realms,” Changmin quoted, leaning back into the sofa. “And I can’t think of a time where I wanted to strangle you more than then. Gotta admit, you looked sexy in that tight Santa suit. Peeling it off that night completely made up for the shitstorm you created during the day. But talk about ugly fashion. It’s why I detest all the depictions of me wearing the stupid thing. So glad we burned it.”

Yunho chuckled. “I’ll remember to ix-nay on the fur trimmings next time and go with a plain suit.” He eyed Changmin’s red oxford shirt and black distressed jeans. “I don’t think looking like some rock band vocalist is any better, though. You should stick with the red and black suits. Sweet lord, yes. I’d be all over that version of Sandy Claws.” He licked his lips theatrically, and the prince closed his eyes in second-hand embarrassment. “Oh, come off it. You like when I tease and fool around.”

“I do, but not when I’m on a tight schedule.” He rose to his knees, giving the little puppy one more chance to lick and nip at his fingers. “Think of a good name, and not something unimaginative. I thought I was going to kill Yi Xiang when he suggested Spot. Oh, and don’t _do_ anything to him. He’s a puppy. You can wait until he’s older. General Kwon wanted to dunk him into something that would ‘make him glow like a star’ but after that last concoction where I couldn’t even drag myself off you for nights on end…”

“Bless her original aphrodisiacs, for they are the greatest gift. However, I already picked a name. The minute I laid my eyes on him, I knew what I would call the little yipper. That mark around his eye made the decision for me.”

“Fuck,” Changmin whispered. Here it was. Dread and certainty filled him, and he just knew—

“Isn’t that right, Zero?”

When the puppy wriggled back onto his paws and barked up at him, Changmin breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m off. Be a good little king, and you might see presents under your scary bone tree.”

Yunho snaked his fingers around his lover’s wrist and drew him down for a long kiss that threatened to make the Christmastown leader late. “Don’t get stuck in a chimney, you know I hate playing savior,” he whispered huskily, humming when Changmin’s own hand kept a firm grip in his hair and pulled their mouths together again. Minutes later, he forced himself to say against those lips, “Go, or I’m going to have to frog-march you out.”

“Keep him grounded, Zero,” Changmin ordered sternly, and Zero the Puppy simpered up towards him. A snap of his fingers, and a swirling whirlwind of sleet and ice shrouded him from Yunho’s parlor. Seconds later, the Winter Prince had gone, and the Nightmare King got up moments later with his new companion. He murmured sweetly to the puppy dozing in the crook of his arm as he headed towards his kitchen. Wine and a novel before bed would keep him comfortable until he woke next to an exhausted but content boyfriend in the morning.

He stopped at a window in the hall, staring dumbfounded at the grounds below. His servants and chefs scurried around the courtyard, making delighted sounds as the first flurries touched the earth. It came steadier and steadier, until a fine sheet covered his property. Beyond the fence line, he saw the citizens begin to file out of their homes, ready to play in their temporary winter wonderland. Zero stirred against his chest, squirming for a better look.

His shock grew when actual snow began to fall from his ceiling. It did not chill his skin, but rather it felt warm like the breath of its creator. The snow avoided the bed, which he was thankful for; waking up buried in a foot of the stuff wasn’t on his bucket list. He watched as a beautiful ice vase slowly formed on his nightstand, frozen sculpted roses appearing on delicate ice stems. At his hesitant touch, they bloomed into real petals, soft and bright, and silver like moonlight. “See?” he told Zero, who nearly toppled from his hold trying to bite at the flower. “And he tells _me_ I have to have the last word.”


End file.
